


Your Crush is My Love Rival

by cathelerein, InkuEko



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst and Humor, Brotp, Eavesdropping, Emotionally Repressed, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Jealousy, Love Ally, Love rival, Mission Gone Wrong, Misunderstandings, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Romance, Sharing a Bed, Stalking, love advice, otp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:27:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 37,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24999823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cathelerein/pseuds/cathelerein, https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkuEko/pseuds/InkuEko
Summary: When Gray asks Levy on a mission to save kidnapped couples in Shirotsume Town, Gajeel and Juvia can't help but think there's more than what meets the eye. Juvia wholeheartedly wants to follow them and Gajeel agrees to go too, but because the Water mage might go overboard… Not out of jealousy… Pff. GaLe & Gruvia ( Gajeel & Juvia BROTP and Gray & Levy's friendship)
Relationships: Gray Fullbuster & Levy McGarden, Gray Fullbuster/Juvia Lockser, Juvia Lockser & Gajeel Redfox, Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox
Comments: 41
Kudos: 93





	1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Heyy, I'm back with a FT fanfic, featuring Gajevy, but also Gruvia~

It's been a while that I wanted to write a story with Gajeel and Juvia's friendship, because there's so much potential which we don't see quite enough in the manga/anime. So here's my take on their friendship among with their love story^^ Also, as I wrote this, I realized just how much there was to explore with Fairy Tail mages' friendships since a lot have known each others for _years_. I mean, Natsu, Gray, Levy, Cana, the Strauss siblings, Erza, even Jet and Droy were in the guild since they're kids and unfortunately, we don't see much about it. Being childhood friends, they should have so much shared memories and inside jokes...Anyway, that was my two-cents on that, but I think I'd like to dive more into it, in the future!

For now, enjoy the romance fanfic of Gajevy & Gruvia! Hope you'll enjoy it~

This fanfic is set post-Grand Magic Games/Eclipse. (And as you probably guess, I do not own FT).

* * *

**Chapter 1: Finally a Calm Mission (Right?)**

Greeting Nab with a nod, Gray stood before the job board. After a quick scan of the requests, he groaned, disheartened. There was nothing that caught his eye, but he badly needed to find something.

The Ice-Make mage was looking for a solo-mission, being tired of giving up more than half his rewards on every mission. It was unfortunately the reality of being part of Team Natsu. As much as he enjoyed working with them, Lucy wasn't the only one that needed money to pay rent. The month was coming to an end and he did not have enough jewels to make ends meet. Annoyed, Gray swiftly threw aside his shirt. Surely, there was a decent job that would make him earn good dough without being incredibly dull.

"Nothing to your liking?" asked a crystal-clear voice behind him.

He sided-glanced and saw Mirajane smiling, holding a stack of sheets against her chest. Gray realized she was going to pin new requests and he decided to try his luck.

"At all. Anything that would fit an Ice mage? With a substantial reward?"

"Actually, there is! I was going to look for you," she beamed, before searching through the pile. Once she found the one she was looking for, the barmaid handed it towards him. "Here. Judging by the fact that Natsu and the others aren't looking with you, you're planning on going solo?"

He simply nodded, but before he could begin to read the job description, she added, "I still think you'll require a partner for this. There is another specific Magic Type they ask for. That being said, I thought you should have a look at it, first. So, let me know if you're interested!"

The white-haired barmaid resumed her chore, lecturing incidentally Nab for standing all day long in front of the board without taking a job.

Gray returned his attention to the request, that read as followed:

**Disappearances of couples from Shirotsume Town**

**The culprit seems to be a monster that lives beyond the icy mountain range of Mt. Hakone**

**[Mission better fit for an Ice Mage or an analogue Magic]**

**All rescue missions: failed. Invisible barrier blocks the way after one-day expedition following lead**

**[Requires a Mage that can deal with runes]**

**All families demand continued search.**

**Before: 500 000 Jewels (now +450 000 J)**

He rose his eyebrow, impressed. It must really have gotten out of hand if the town had increased double the reward. Obviously, the mission required an expedition through the snowy mountains, but for a mage of his caliber, it would be a walk in the park. As for monsters, it took more than that to make a Fairy Tail member hesitate. The one thing that stopped him was the rune barrier.

That magic was not up his alley. He knew only two people in the guild who used Magic that could deal with runes: Freed with his Letter Magic and Levy with her Solid-Script. He looked up and searched for them through the guildhall. Most members were there, eating or drinking up, enjoying the early afternoon, today being one of those lazy days when requests were yet to be put on display.

Natsu and Elfman were wrestling dangerously near of Erza. When Kinana brought her strawberry cake, the red-hair woman seemed to remember too well the last time she wanted to enjoy her break which had been cut short by a brawl and decided it was wiser to kick the two men outside. Lucy was chasing after Happy, surely after he said something that hit a nerve. Cana was loudly recalling an anecdote to her drinking crew which consisted of Macao, Wakaba, Lisanna, Alzack and Bisca. The hair of the latter caught his attention, but she wasn't the person he was looking for.

Gray continued to survey the hall, looking for another green-hair head. He then vaguely remembered that Laxus left with his Thunder Tribe for a S-Class mission. So, Freed was no longer an option. Even then, the Ice-Make Mage didn't mind as he knew very little of the man, as Freed always kept to himself and to his crew. It was not that he held a grudge against him or the other Rajinshuu, but he rarely interacted with them. But his absence made his choice obvious. Levy with her knowledge and Light Pen could undo even Freed's runes. Besides, he knew her since he was a kid. The blunette joined Fairy Tail almost at the same moment as him.

Recalling that made memories of their youth resurface. Originally, it was Cana, Levy and him, the kids slaloming between the tables in the guildhall. Then came Erza and shortly after, Natsu. A couple of months after that, the Strauss siblings joined the merry group of children that composed Fairy Young (as they liked to call themselves). It took a bit of time to Mira to warm up, just like Erza, given her history, but quickly she joined their group of friends. However, once the initial reluctance passed, the kids were always stuck together. When they weren't playing, they took simple jobs in Magnolia like pet-sitting or mowing the lawn (although the requests for that quickly stopped after Natsu started taking up those).

Gray grinned at the memory. It had been a while since he thought about good old times and even longer since he took a mission with his other friends of Fairy Young, besides Natsu and Erza.

Decidedly, he looked more closely for blue hair. His eyes caught sight of dark blue wavy hair peeping from behind a pillar near the bar. Without second-guessing, he knew who it was. Juvia looked his way with anticipation, her eyes full of stars. The Ice-Make Mage sighed, not having a clue why she was looking at him this way.

Nearby Gajeel sat at the bar, visibly tense or annoyed, drinking with Lily. The blue-haired girl he was looking was not with them, so he tried his luck with his second-best guess, looking for the two male members of Shadow Gear. Jet and Droy were in the middle of a card game against Warren and Max. Once again, Levy was nowhere in sight. Gray began to wonder if she was in the hall at all, when he spotted a giant book standing on a table, held by two feminine hands. The Ice-Make mage snorted. He should have figured that looking for a book in this sea of doofus was the quickest way of finding such a petite woman. Gray walked towards her, not sensing a sorrowful glance following his every step.

"Yo, Levy," he greeted, standing next to her table.

Seemingly too focused in her reading, she didn't acknowledge his presence. To get her attention, he tapped her shoulder. The blue-haired girl jumped slightly, startled by the contact.

"Oh, hi, Gray," she smiled apologetically, taking off her Gale-Force glasses. "Sorry, I didn't hear you."

Gray brushed off her apology. "Don't sweat it."

"So, what's up?" Levy asked, putting down her book.

"I was wondering if you'd partner up with me for a mission."

Still standing, he handed her down the request. He briefly explained the mission's parameters. She nodded along, as she quickly read the request. Before letting her answer, he added, "Of course, we'd split half-half." Though he doubted she needed the precision. They worked that way before and there was no reason why it would be different.

Levy's eyes shone and she jumped on her feet, as if she caught on something vital. She pointed at the title and exclaimed, "Oh my god, it's in Shirotsume Town! It has one of the two Books & Noble libraries in Fiore! I was looking for a reason to go there."

Judging by her squeal, Levy seemed to be on board for the mission, but Gray wanted to make sure that she understood the nature of their mission and wasn't jumping in on a whim, just because there was a rare library nearby. Although she was normally level-headed, the blue-haired girl seemed to lose some rationality when it came to books. A trait as engrained in her personality as his stripping habit. All Fairies had their quirks, but his didn't make him take dangerous missions without considering the implications.

"Yeah. Well, we wouldn't stay long in town. We'd have to cross through the mountains to get to the monster," Gray pointed out.

"Ah, yes," she agreed. "I'll have to take down the barrier so you and Team Natsu can beat the monster."

There it was. She had already her presumptions about how the mission would go. He needed to make it clear, because he didn't want to feel like he tricked her into coming. Though, he kind of needed her to come along, because he didn't really want to search for some stranger with magic that could undo the barrier. He'd much rather have someone he had fight alongside with, someone whom he trusted.

"Actually, it would be just you and me."

Among the regular ruckus of the guild, they failed to hear a loud gasp coming from behind them.

Levy's eyes widened. "Eh? How come?"

He told her his reasons for wanting to take a mission without his usual group. She nodded, an amused smile on her lips. Still, her frown showed she was still worried.

"Are you sure that it's a good idea just you and me?" she asked. She held her hands up, debunking a misunderstanding. "Not that I think you can't beat a monster, but I don't think that besides the barrier, I can be of much help if you need it."

Gray rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Levy. You were chosen for the S-Class Exam. Have more faith in your abilities."

"Yeah, no," she contradicted herself. "I do have faith. I just don't take combat missions. I'm better with solving problems type of requests, not the "beat a monster" ones."

"Okay, but your combat skills have improved a lot since Tenrou." He halted her before she could protest. "Sure, you don't destroy cities with one sword's swing, like-" He coughed, uneasy. "-some crazy knight we know. Still that doesn't make you weak. All Fairy Tail mages are strong, no?" He rose his eyebrow, challenging her to disagree with him.

Levy sighed, defeated, before smiling back to him. "Alright. You win. I'll go." She held up her index. "But, under one condition."

Gray snorted. "Yeah, yeah, the library. You'll get time to go. Anyway, I wanted to sight-see too. So, yeah, deal."

They playfully shook hands, ignoring the ominous vibe coming their way from two people who was overhearing their conversation. Gray was pleasantly surprised that despite the lack of time they spent together in the last months, their complicity came back naturally. Hell, if he didn't need so much money, he would ask Cana too if she was down to come along.

Necessity required, he brought just one partner. But the blunette was a good companion so going just with her was cool too. Levy was easy to be with. Not only wasn't she destructive or exuberant like Natsu, but she wasn't scary like Erza or so easily worked-up like Lucy. Cheery, but chill, mature, but fun, Levy knew how to make people feel at ease with her. She never forced a conversation or went overboard, as she seemed to understand people's limits, a trait a lot in the guild could learn from. As she needed her alone time, just as much as Gray, their companionship would make this mission a walk in the park. Yeah, he wouldn't come back from this mission, completely exhausted, for once.

"When are we leaving?" Levy asked, putting her things in her satchel, but taking out a pen and a paper sheet as to take notes. "And for how long?"

"Since it takes ten hours by train with one transfer mid-way, I think we should leave today. The next train leaves in two hours." She nodded, approving his suggestion. "Since we don't know how far in the mountain the monster lives, I'd guess at least five days?"

Gray hoped the length wouldn't be an obstacle, now, but he still wanted to be honest. Luckily, she didn't seem to mind. Thoughtful, Levy said, "So we'll need camping equipment…"

The blunette started enumerating what they should bring since half their trip would be wilderness camping, taken in charge the organization. Having camped in their childhood with their friends, they knew the ropes, but she considered the more dangerous nature of this trip. An equipment list slowly took form, as Levy pragmatically listed what they needed in case of certain obstacles they might face, confirming that not only she was coming but that he chose his partner well. They would pull off this mission easily.

Speaking of which. A sense of calmness took root in his mind. No nonsense for a week. No massive destruction. Just beating a monster in a remote place with no chance of collateral damages. Then, he could do some sight-seeing in the local attraction, like their famous Ice-sculpture museum. A well-deserved moment of peace.

Only when she addressed the tent problem, hers being completely torn, did he return to reality. Gray did have a tent, although it was an individual one, it was big enough for two people.

The answer seemed evident.

"I have one. Even for an individual size, we fit the two of us in it," Gray assured her.

Neither noticed the grinding of iron being crushed nor the yelp of pain that followed.

He added with a matter-of-fact tone, "Besides, it's better for not losing heat."

He wouldn't have suggested to a girl he had known for only a year or two, in fear of misunderstanding from both the girl and the rest of the guild, but knowing Levy for so long, he knew it wouldn't faze her. They had been asked once, as kids, if they liked each other, and they laughed it off. Through thick and thin, they grew up together, becoming closer than friends, but simply because their trust laid in something more sibling-like. They both knew that neither could ever develop romantic feelings for the other. So, the suggestion of sharing like they did as kids only seem the most evident solution.

"Yeah, good idea," Levy agreed. "It will also save me the trip to the Hiking Shop. Here." She handed him the list she had made of the things to bring. She pointed the items that were circled and then the ones that were underlined. "These are the ones I have and will bring and those are the ones that you're in charge. Did I forget something?"

He quickly read and shook his head. With this kind of efficiency, they'll make it to the next train. It would have made them lose time and he wanted to be in Shirotsume Town by tomorrow morning to begin the mission on the same day.

"Perfect. I'll notify Mira that we're taking this mission. Let's meet at the train station in one hour and a half. At the ticket booth."

"Okay! I'll just warn Jet and Droy before going home."

Gray nodded, but she was already running towards her teammates. Even if they gained seven years of age compared to the Tenrou group, their faces lit up like teenage boys when Levy came by their table to bid them farewell. _Some things never changed_ , he thought with a nostalgic smile, wishing things could be as simple as before this whole business with the time gap that separated them from a world that evolved without them in it. He sighed and chased those dark thoughts and went on his way to where Mira was.

His mind was so one-side tracked on his game plan that he failed to notice a dark cloud forming at a table nearby where a moping Water Mage and an irked Iron Dragon Slayer sat.

Gray forgot that things rarely went as he planned or expected, as a plan without his knowledge was brewing under that dark cloud…

* * *

**AN:** Already wrote a couple of chapters beforehand (to not drag this story on many years like my previous one...). Next chapter will be posted on July 7th ;)

Reviews are my fuel, so don't hesitate!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated in advance, surprise! First, I'd like to thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows! I'm so happy you guys seem to like it so far :D
> 
> So here's chapter 2! Since I won't have a wifi connection for a week, starting today, I figured I should post the chapter now~ As you'll notice through your read, I'll alternate chapters between Gray & Levy and Gajeel & Juvia (I will also switch from point of view each chapter), so technically the chapters go in pairs. You'll see what I mean^^ Enjoy~

**Chapter 2: A two-people mission? More like romantic getaway… (Unacceptable)**

As usual, the Water Mage had come early to the guild to enjoy the entrance of Gray-sama through the guild’s doors. Seeing him so handsome so early in the day was a splendid way to start the day in her opinion. His coolness had a way to reinvigorate her. When she saw him stand in front of the board alone, Juvia couldn’t fight her curiosity. Leaving her stool next to Gajeel, she looked at him as he talked with Mira before looking through the guildhall. His eyes looked purposeful as if he was looking for someone.

Juvia’s heart leaped when Gray’s eyes met hers. A radiant smile stretched her lips, feeling hopeful.

Was today finally the day where she and her beloved Gray would go on a mission together? Just the two of them? A hint of a blush colored her cheeks, as she clasped her hands over her chest. She could kiss goodbye her horrible visions of her beloved flirting with the female members of his usual team. So long, Love Rivals, because all her patience was about to be rewarded. Gray was about to see how good of a duo they’ll make together, just like during the Grand Magic Games. Looking intently at him, Juvia tried to convey all her feelings through her eyes.

His sigh struck her heart like an arrow. A small wail escaped her lips, as Gray continued to search the guild without paying her any more attention. Why Gray-sama couldn’t acknowledge that Juvia was a perfect partner for an Ice-make mage like him? Hadn’t she already proven her strength and her passion? She had no idea what the mission was, but they were so compatible that the two of them could complete any mission they put their mind into. Juvia couldn’t believe Gray didn’t see it by now.

Her jaw dropped when she saw Gray make his way to Levy. Had he confused the two bluenettes by any chance? Maybe, his vision had weakened. Imagining Gray-sama with glasses made her swoon. How dreamy! She’d have to make a new plushie with that in mind. Yes, Gray-sama needed glasses! It was the only explanation on why he was going to the Solid-Script Mage. Except that he greeted Levy as naturally as ever. When he lightly tapped the naked shoulder of the petite woman, Juvia lost it.

She dashed towards Gajeel, jumped on the stool next to him, almost tackling him in her frenzy. Interrupting brazenly a discussion between him and Lily about blade efficiency, she grabbed his shoulders and forcefully shook him, trying to bring his attention to the spectacle that occurred in the hall. Lily crossed his arms, with an amused smirk, like every time she came to them, for advice or reassurance. Her ramblings were incoherent, as she was in-between crying and expressing her outrage.

“What the hell, Rain Woman?” the Iron Dragon Slayer growled. Guessing the reason of her agitation, he asked with exasperation, “What did _he_ do this time?”

Being friends for so long, the two ex-Phantom Lords mages managed around each other’s quirks easily. Juvia wasn’t fazed by Gajeel’s moodiness and he understood her outbursts better than anyone else. Although he acted mean, Gajeel was always there to support her, even if most of the time it simply meant he listened to her tirades.

Totally unbothered by his rude tone, she quickly explained her distress, “Juvia has another Love Rival. Gajeel-kun must do something!”

He side-glanced her, before rolling his eyes. “Tch, ain’t because he looked at a girl, that it’s a rival. Get over it, Raindrop.” He took a swig of beer and added, “And don’t involve me in your nonsense.”

Juvia teared up, as she made gestures between Gajeel, the guildhall and herself, as if it explained something vital. She finally stammered, “B-but, Levy-san is stealing Gray-sama away!”

Putting down his pint more heavily than necessary, he glared at his friend and then turned to the guildhall. “Uh?”

Just at that moment, his eyes fell on a happy Levy, squealing in excitement to something Gray said. Clenching his teeth, visibly annoyed, Juvia knew she finally made him see the problem as his full attention was finally directed to the duo, exactly as she hoped. Seeing his scold, Juvia had high hopes that Gajeel would go claim Levy and so, would “take out” one of her Love Rival off Gray-sama.

To her surprised, Gajeel looked away from the scene and muttered, “Whatever. Shorty’s just happy about some library. Nothing to do with yer Stripper.”

“Gajeel-kun doesn’t grasp the situation,” the Water Mage huffed. “Gray-sama is going on a mission.”

“That’s what mages do…” he said, talking slowly like she was dumb, which made her frown, displeased. “Ya know, go on missions and stuff.”

Juvia sighed, wanting to facepalm herself, discouraged by his lack of understanding and was about to explain when Gray said one single sentence that explained it all.

_“Actually, it would be just you and me,”_ they heard Gray say to Levy. Although it might seem surprising that she could hear that as clearly as Gajeel even though their two guildmates were several tables away and she didn’t have an enhanced hearing, Gray’s voice always seemed to reach her somehow.

Juvia gasped loudly, ready to cry a protest, which was rapidly cut off by Gajeel’s gloved hand over her mouth, his eyes still fixed on their guildmates. Although she had her suspicions about Gray-sama’s mission being a two-person job, Gajeel’s scold made it clear that he was now on the same page as her. Juvia wasn’t unaware of his feelings for the petite bluenette. The way his eyes softened when he was with her and their incessant teasing were proof enough of their affection for each other. However, Juvia knew that she should still be careful, discarding no one as a potential Love Rival, even the crush of her best friend.

Simultaneously, not even consulting each other as they were on this matter oddly in sync, the two mages got up on their feet and went to sit on a table to get even closer to Gray and Levy’s table, leaving a discouraged Lily at the bar. Juvia suspected that even with his enhanced hearing, Gajeel had the same reflex, not wanting to miss on the conversation their two guildmates were having. Lucky for them, Gray and Levy had their back towards them, making them unaware of Gajeel and Juvia’s approach.

_“Eh? How come?”_ They heard Levy ask.

Was Levy-san looking for Gray-sama’s praises? Juvia wondered, biting off her nails as she listened to her beloved listing the reasons why he thought Levy was strong enough for the mission. Turning towards Gajeel, wanting to see him as outraged as she was by their clear flirting, Juvia was surprised to just see him nod along what Gray said.

So, what if Levy was a good mage! Juvia was too and a better fit to Gray-sama. Levy’s cute smile to Gray-sama broke the camel’s back, making her restrain falter. She had enough. If Gajeel wasn’t going to be a Love Ally, then she’ll have to settle this situation herself. When she got up once more, a large gloved hand landed on her shoulder. She looked down and Gajeel, with a glance, indicated her to sit.

Just when she was about to protest, Levy’s reply caught their attention once more. Gray was turned towards his friend, which was awfully too close to Juvia’s taste. Their faces were only a foot away, lamented Juvia.

_“Alright. You win. I’ll go.”_ The petite bluenette held up her index and added with a playful tone. _“But, under one condition.”_

Juvia gasped. She was flirting with Gray-sama! And not even hiding it! A dark aura surrounded Juvia as her mind came up with schemes to get rid of her Love Rival, one she had so far underestimated.

Her beloved Gray snorted. The mocking laugh reassured Juvia, but only for a second, as she heard him say, _“Yeah, yeah, the library. You’ll get time to go. Anyway, I wanted to sight-see too. So, yeah, deal.”_

Juvia felt her soul leaving her body. Gray-sama had flirted back! While she was growing disheartened, collapsing on the bench, her legs giving out under the weight of her despair, Gajeel clenched his fists against the table.

In front of them, Levy and Gray playfully shook hands, to seal their agreement. By now, a cloud was forming above the ex-Phantom Lord mages. Oblivious to it, Gray and Levy went on about their mission, the petite bluenette asking how long it would take. Juvia’s last hope on letting Levy off with a simple warning went up in smoke when Gray told her the job would take at least five days. 

“Five days?” Gajeel couldn’t help, but growl. He let out an annoyed sigh but added nothing more.

“A romantic getaway?” Juvia exclaimed, in a low whisper, more to herself than for anyone. She glared at Levy’s back. “Unacceptable…”

“As hell!” Gajeel tried to calm her down, failing to brush off her worries, with a weak excuse. “…They’re just partnering up by convenience.” Clearly refusing to face her, he rummaged through his duffel bag, picking up a piece of iron to gnaw. Juvia sighed. The Iron Dragon Slayer had always been an emotional eater, always biting off iron whenever he was pissed, stressed or plainly annoyed. Although Gajeel was easy to read, this habit left no doubt about his current state of mind.

However, the Water Mage didn’t know if Gajeel was in denial or what, but she hadn’t expected him to try to control his feelings. The Dragon Slayer had changed since he had joined Fairy Tail. As much as he liked to disagree, he had grown more reasonable. As much as it was a good thing normally, it wasn’t helping them in the slightest as their respective crushes were currently flirting together.

“Juvia is convenient! She can do anything Gray-sama needs for the job,” the woman assured.

He sighed, sounding somewhat exasperated, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Raindrop, your water can’t disable runes. Shorty can. But, why the hell do they need five fucking days for one monster and one barrier?”

“Juvia is telling Gajeel-kun! It is a decoy for a romantic trip! Gajeel-kun must steal his crush back.”

“The hell you’re taking about? Crush? Ain’t got a crush on Shortstuff,” he snorted, feigning disdain. Juvia sighed heavily. It was official. Gajeel was _so_ in denial. It was almost painful to watch at this point. He should learn from her ways and he would have less problems with Levy. Although, Juvia didn’t doubt her methods, she must admit that so far she wasn’t making as much progress as she had hoped. It was still better than nothing. Gajeel seemed to see her unconvinced face, because he felt the need to add, “For one, _you_ should keep yer stripper on a leash.”

Juvia pouted. “Gray-sama refused…” The closest thing from that he accepted from her was the scarf she made him, a memory that made her heart fluster.

Gajeel looked at her, seemingly dumbstruck. “Ya used to be so badass…Why you act so fangirly?”

Juvia rolled her eyes, not amused by what he implied. Her passion didn’t diminish her abilities, but if he wanted to play that game, two people could play it. Besides, his moods never really impressed nor bothered Juvia.

“And Gajeel-kun used to have guts.”

“Ya calling me a wuss?” he snarled.

Provoking him had always been the quickest way to make him get his act together. At least, that didn’t change. Juvia simply smiled, knowing that not denying his claim would only fuel his displeasure. As he was about to bark a reply, the subject of the tent was brought and so her ears were focused again on the conversation. Levy explained that her tent had been torn and was not usable anymore. Juvia had hopes that this inconvenience would fret Gray, causing him to withdraw his offer. What Gray said next made her heart sink.

_“I have one. Even for an individual size, we fit the two of us in it,”_ Gray told Levy.

Hearing that suggestion, Gajeel crushed the iron scrap he had in his hand, grinding horribly like a scratch against a black board. However, the disagreeable sound was covered by his yelp of pain when Juvia grabbed his arm, digging her nails into it, trying to stop herself from going after Levy.

Gray added matter-of-factly, “ _Besides, it’s better for not losing heat_.”

That last precision popped the balloon of her anger, leaving her totally overwhelmed with shock and disbelief. Gray-sama wanted Levy’s warmth? How had Juvia been so blind and not see how dangerous the bookworm was to her love? She spiraled down in her own mind, unable to see or hear anything, imagining mortifying images of Gray and Levy’s wedding. She came back to reality when Gajeel snapped his finger before her face. The two other mages were already gone.

“Oi, Raindrop, snap out of it.” He shook his right arm, on which she still hung. “And let go of my arm. Might be made of iron, but damn woman, your grip is out of this world.”

She blinked and looked at her left hand, still tightened around his forearm. She let go, seeing slight marks of nails in his skin. She looked back up and declared, “Juvia is going to Shirotsume Town.”

Gajeel frowned at her emotionless tone, visibly apprehensive. “Look, I ain’t liking it either.” If Juvia wasn’t so minded on her goal of securing Gray-sama’s love, she would have been happy that Gajeel was finally a bit more honest with himself. “Stalking them ain’t gonna help. So, what ya gonna do about it? Destroy their tent?”

“It is an option,” she nodded, thoughtful. She then said in her most serious tone, “That being said, Juvia cannot guarantee Levy-san’s safety.”

Her solemnity made it hard to decide if she was joking or if she was serious. She made it sound not so much as a threat but as a fact, which didn’t miss hitting the nerve with the Dragon Slayer. Despite him staying stubbornly an emotionally constipated mess, Juvia knew how to break his weak resolve of staying away from Levy. Gajeel glared at her, showing her he was taking the bait.

Going to Shirotsume was for the greater good. Not only would it help Gray look her way, but it would give the push Gajeel needed.

“You wouldn’t do that,” he said, almost daring her. Getting no answer from her, he massaged his left temple, annoyed, before barking, “Arg, you’re impossible! Fine! I’m coming.”

He was always so easy to give in to her provocations. Playing indifferent or difficult had been his trademark for so long, but Juvia knew better. His words rarely reflected what he really thought or wanted. A well-placed challenge or an insinuation about weakness was usually all it took for him to go for it, whatever it was he wanted to do. Now, what he wanted, even if he kept denying it, was pursuing Levy. Juvia couldn’t bear to watch him stubbornly love in silence and from afar with no show of his true passion. It was going to change, thanks to her love for Gray-sama and her desire of getting rid of a Rival.

“Juvia and Gajeel-kun will make great Love Allies!” she smiled, genuinely, feeling her natural optimism return like a rainbow after the rain.

“Nah, I’m just your rationality. Gotta prevent some of your nonsense,” he said. He then muttered, “Mad woman.” 

They both got up and he picked up his bag and told her that he’d wait for her at the train station, making clear that she better not tell anyone of their trip to Shirotsume and even less the reasons behind it. She brushed off his concerns with her hand. They went towards the exit together and went their way to go pack their things before their trip.

As she walked with determination, Juvia now understood the saying “All is fair in war and love”. Partners once again, ex-Black Steel and ex-Element Four were ready to face any obstacle to win over their lovers.

Nothing could stand in their way as they marched through the battlefield of love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See what I mean? ;) It will go back and forth between the two duos, to see how Gajeel and Juvia misunderstand what's going on with Gray and Levy! Next chapter will be up between the 13th and the 15 of July! The next one will be with Gajeel's POV, so stay tune~


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: You'll be able tell that I had a LOT of fun writing this chapter~ Hope you enjoy it too! (I still do not own FT)

Chapter 3: This Didn’t Go As Planned

Barely making it to the train, the whistle blew to mark its departure. The doors whooshed behind them. Gajeel cursed, for good measure, relieved to have made it in time. Hadn’t it been for him asking Wendy to cast Troia on him and Juvia going back to get her Gray plushie, they wouldn’t have had to sprint half of Magnolia to catch the stupid train. The two mages had at least something that would make the trip bearable. He just couldn’t understand this woman’s priorities sometimes.

“Train to Oshibasa. Possible transfert to Shirotsume. Time of arrival estimated to 23:57,” echoed an automatic message.

Goddamn trains and goddamn tranferts. A living hell. At least, he won’t have to suffer through motion sickness, Gajeel thought to himself.

The Iron Dragon Slayer hadn’t planned on going to Shirotsume Town. Even when they were overhearing (not eavesdropping, he ain’t no stalker) Stripper and Shorty going on a mission, he pushed aside the feeling gnawing his insides. It was none of his business. They could do whatever they wanted, going on a mission just the two of them, he didn’t care. At all. Good for them, in fact. Sure, he hadn’t planned either to crush his iron snack when he heard the damn Stripper suggest to Shorty to share a tent _and heat_. It was simply a natural reflex upon the realization that a pervert was going after one of his friends. His annoyance was perfectly justified.

It took him sometime, but he could finally admit that Shorty was his friend. Her forgiving and cheery nature and the fact that she seemed to enjoy his company were beyond his comprehension, but he wouldn’t be the one to make her realize that he didn’t deserve her time and smiles. He loved way too much the pouts she made when he teased her about her height or her love of books.

But, no, he hadn’t planned on going to Shirotsume, even though he disliked how familiar and nonchalantly intimate the Stripper acted. The only reason he accepted that mad plan was to prevent Shorty of getting in the crossfire of Rainwoman’s scheme. Knowing Juvia for many years, he knew how dedicated she was when she set her mind into something. So even though she adored Fairy Tail, Gajeel didn’t want the Water Mage near Shorty when she was in one of her Gray-frenzied trances or whatever.

Despite his inability to _not_ sigh whenever he had to listen to one of her ramblings about the Ice Bastard, Gajeel never sent her away. Despite the perpetual impression of him not giving a damn, Juvia was among the people he did care about and so, her happiness didn’t leave him indifferent. Although her love for the Stripper was something he would never understand, he respected it. For as long as he has known the woman, the rain that clouded her heart always followed her everywhere she went. Now, it was gone, thanks somehow to Stripper.

As much as it annoyed him that the guy acted coldly, the guy was still a Fairy Tail mage and, therefore, he wouldn’t purposely hurt Juvia. If Gray didn’t hurt her by good nature, then he didn’t, out of necessity. Gajeel had make it pretty clear that anyone who hurt Juvia would have to deal with Black Steel Gajeel (and not Fairy Tail Gajeel). Even with the clear threat, the Dragon Slayer suspected that the Fairy Girls had some sort of squad set to quote-unquote “protect Juvia’s pure heart”.

Maybe the Water Mage was just too blinded by her wild imagination to see that no girl would ever go after that Ice Cube, because, for real, there was no love rival out there. Still, she was restless whenever a girl talked to the guy. Seeing enemies everywhere was a trait encouraged by Phantom Lord. Seeing how she still acted sometimes, the saying ‘old habits proved to die hard’ proved to be true.

Now, enemies being mere “love rivals”, her cunning planning and commitment to see her objectives through were used for a more innocent purpose, despite the dark aura she had sometimes. Him tagging along was solely for protective purposes. Going undercover was a talent of his that was particularly useful in this situation.

Someone had to look out for the Shrimp, Gajeel nodded to himself. So, it wasn’t stalking, he thought, gritting his teeth recalling the smug comment Lily had made before he took off with Juvia.

Lily had a knack for misinterpreting things related to Shorty. This trip in particular, but that was partly due to the Rainwoman, talking rubbish about things such as “love ally”. He had no part in that Love Ally nonsense. Gajeel didn’t mind listening to Juvia and her ramblings. Hell, it was even amusing sometimes. However, he disliked when the conversation shifted to him and his “feelings”. Those were not up to discussion. He could deal with his own shit without other people’s inputs. He hated dwelling on feelings for too long as they always brought them back to less glorious moments of his life that he’d rather forget. Having a crush was not something Gajeel Redfox had, period. Attachments beyond friendships were doomed to bring more deceptions than joys, anyway. His past was proof enough. Or, so he always tried to convince himself.

His resolve always faltered when meeting a pair of big hazelnut eyes. The curve of her lips also made his heart skip a beat and a draft of her smell, a soft mixture of ink, paper and tulips would make his mind go blank. He had no trouble dismissing such reactions, as being mere echoes of his desire to protect her.

With a groan, Gajeel put down his backpack. He looked at their tickets, assigning them a cabin. Juvia was already frantically looking right and left, looking for their two guildmates. He rolled his eyes. There was no way that she would settle for their assigned cabin. Neither would he if he was honest with himself. This trip was in no way going to be a walk in the park, not with Juvia so on edge. The fact that she was such a bundle of nerves must have affected him also, as he felt oddly tense. It was the only reasonable explanation for the stress he was feeling. Either way, they’d have to find Shorty and Stripper and take the neighboring cabin for her (and therefore, him) to calm down.

He took a sniff, on the lookout for either a paper and flower-like smell or a winter-breeze-like one. Detecting nothing, he decided to take a chance on his left. Juvia nodded and followed. After crossing three wagons, skirting the hallway, inspecting occasional the cabins on their left, he heard his friend gasp. He turned around and when he saw her eyes sparkled, he knew what she was about to say.

“Gray-sama is near!”

That she had such confidence in her statement, even before his nose could pick up the familiar scents left him puzzled. With a gruffier tone than intended, partly being vexed that she made the call before him, he asked, “How’d you know?”

A mischievous smile on her lips, she rested her index on her forehead and said, “Juvia’s Graydar never lies.”

For a moment, he misheard and thought she said “gaydar”, before realizing that she meant the Stripper. Her confidence let no place for doubt. When he picked up their guildmates’ scents, confirming she was right, he frowned looking at her. How could she have done it when she didn’t even have dragon senses to help her? Looked like her stalking paid off, after all.

“Sometimes you’re fucking terrifying, woman.”

“Juvia will take it as a compliment.”

Gajeel snorted and Juvia simply smiled. He looked around. There were in the good wagon so, now it was a matter of knowing in which cabin they were. They heard Shorty laughing and he swiftly moved, stopping at the door before the one where her laughter was coming from. Looking through the glass, he saw two young adults snuggled against each other. He slid the door, causing them to jump.

“Out!” He barked.

Fear flashed through their eyes, but the man tried to look brave before his girlfriend. However, his confidence wasn’t very convincing as he stuttered, “N-no way. It’s our c-cabin.”

He understood why the guy was trying to defend his spot, as they had a sleeping car room for themselves. However, the prospect of Shorty and Stripper having the same accommodation sour his mood, although he was never a patient man to begin with.

His words died down on his tongue when he felt Juvia gently push his arm, taking the space next to him. He groaned for good measure but knew that it was better to let her do the talking since she was more diplomate than him (though the bar wasn’t very high).

“Juvia apologizes for her friend, but it is very important that we take this cabin. We will pay the difference.” 

The guy straightened up slightly, a glimpse of arrogance flared in his eyes. The fool, Gajeel thought. With an air, he said, “As if you could afford it! Those cost double the regular seats. We won’t step aside for you, ruffians.” He unnecessarily brushed them off with a snob hand gesture.

Before Gajeel had the time to cast a glare that would make him regret of even existing, he felt the air getting heavier, as if the cabin was becoming a sauna.

A glare was all it took for the man to quiver in fear.

Her eyes normally lost in a daydream of hers were now deadly cold. Seeing her so often gleeful nowadays, Gajeel tended to forget how people feared her too. He had known her for a long time in Phantom Lord, a longer time than what they spent so far in Fairy Tail, but the latter seemed to overshadow the former, making them leave behind dreadful memories and inglorious traits from their time in the semi-dark guild.

The thought of Juvia being a danger would seem absurd to her Fairy friends, knowing her as the happy-goer Juvia, always talking about love and fawning over the Stripper. Her dark aura only came back when something was threatening her time with her guy and even then, it wasn’t with intentions of killing her “love rivals”. However, right now, the line was thin, her face darkened by her fiery determination.

The squeal that the couple let out was hilarious and they shakily took the money Juvia was offering them before fleeing. Gajeel tried to contain his laughter, as he said, “Gihi, I remember now why we’re friends. Ya gave those suckers the scare of their lives.”

“No, as Gajeel-kun said before, Juvia has put some sense into them,” she reasoned with a measured tone,

He smirked. He gestured her to go first and followed. He swung his bag on the compartment overhead and he unceremoniously slumped on the bed-seat. Kicking his boots, he laid down on the bed, stretching to pop his stiff back. The stress of hurrying took its toll, as he was plagued by knots. What he would do for a good massage… Preferably by a petite bluenette. A man could dream, he smirked.

“Gajeel-kun, it is no time for relaxing!” the Water mage exclaimed, breaking his daydream. “Now that we are here, we must think of our strategy. As Love Allies, it is important that we coordinate our efforts. Usually, Juvia must do it all by herself and so, she is happy that Gajeel-kun has agreed to come…” She gasped in her hands, upon realizing something. “Juvia almost forgot! She must add Levy-san to Juvia’s Love Chart… Where are Juvia’s color pencils?... ” She frowned, an expression swaying between concentration and displeasure, as she surely imagined her love diagram thing.

He knew the drill. When she started on a tangent, the Iron Dragon Slayer knew full well that she wouldn’t stop until she needed a pause to breathe. Only then, he would be able to slip a word. He let her draw on her chart, something he was too damn well familiar, much to his aggravation.

Finally, she mentioned what she had prepared beforehand, which consisted mostly in long-range hearing gear. She was rummaging her luggage, that was a jumble of tech, clothing, a Gray Plushie and dresses. Good thing, he brought the tent, because for now she seemed to have only focused on the espionage. Gajeel cringed at the last word. No. He had stuff to do in Shirotsume Town anyway, subconsciously looking for more excuses. The town had particularly good metals there, some withholding very cold temperature, giving him a new flavor to try out. His eyes fell back on Juvia. She was taking out gear.

“We don’t need no fancy plan. I can hear ‘em just fine from ‘ere,” he yawned, feeling the softness of the bed relaxing his body.

“Well, Juvia can’t.”

She took out her device and climbed on the bed. The mattress probably being softer than she expected, she lost her balance and dropped her knee on Gajeel’s stomach, that not even his iron-hard abs (as he liked to qualify them) could prevent the pain.

“Fuck! Watch it!”

He was now fully awake, once more, and was glaring at the culprit of his pain.

“Gajeel-kun was in the way. He can only blame himself,” she smiled, with a subtle hint of playfulness.

He grunted, displeased, scooped over to leave some space for Juvia. He hadn’t paid much attention to the conversation on the other side of the wall since Juvia’s monologue. Last thing he picked was them talking about their own teams. Nothing really of interest. Besides, now that he thought about it, there was no way anything would happen between Stripper and Shorty. In Juvia’s excitement, he lost sight of reality. Sure, Shorty was a popular girl, attracting attention from annoying guys, but she never seemed to notice nor care much about them. Gajeel prided himself that when he was in her vicinity, he could even make her look up from a book. Okay, out of annoyance, but it was better than nothing. Her eyes were still on him and that was what mattered.

So, no, Stripper was no threat. Shorty wouldn’t be interested in a guy like that. He sneered at that thought, feeling oddly more at ease. However, that was short-lived. As he thought of the petite bluenette, he had subconsciously listened to her soft voice and what he heard struck his heart with dread.

_“I didn’t mean to get down on you like that.”_

He couldn’t help but notice her shy tone, imagining a blush spread on her cheeks, her cute demeanor meant for someone else than him. He hadn’t realized he was glaring at the wall with an intensity that could have make the wall melt if he had any fire-like powers until a hiss by his side caught his attention. Juvia had apparently heard that too. He looked at his friend, her teeth clenched, and her brows furrowed. Now with headphone on her ears, her long-range surveillance gear made her hear as clearly as he was hearing. If the situation wasn’t pissing him off, he would have laughed at how prepared she was.

“Levy-san…” she gritted between her teeth. “Only Juvia can get down on Gray-sama.”

“Oi, she ain’t! No one is interested in that damn Stripper, but you.”

He was saying that, but he, himself, had difficulties to subdue the jealousy taking a firm grip on his insides. He couldn’t understand why she would say that to that Ice Bastard, but surely it wasn’t what they were thinking.

Gajeel breathed deeply. Don’t let yourself slip into Rainwoman’s infernal turmoil, he scolded himself. Shorty was not stupid enough to pursue Stripper with Raindrop being so clearly smitten by the guy and, besides, Gajeel liked to believe the petite bluenette had better taste than falling for a pervert like that (no offense to Juvia).

_“Yeah, I feel it too,”_ Gray’s voice said.

His eyes widened. Feel what? What was that Ice Cube feeling? It better not be Shorty or so help him, he would… His now violent train of thought was interrupted by muffled grunts. He turned to see Juvia biting furiously her navy-blue shawl, glaring at the wall as if it was its fault her guy was chasing another girl.

“Juvia is putting a stop to this,” she muttered, resolve burning in her eyes.

“Hold up!” He caught her by her collar, stopping her from leaving the cabin. “Ya can’t just barge in.”

She looked at him, like he was crazy. “Why not?”

A legitimate question, he must concede. Normally, Gajeel wouldn’t hesitate to just waltz in and to punch his way through. However, with his time in Fairy Tail, he learnt the difference between amiable brawls and downright-imma-kill-you fights. Right now, regarding Stripper, his fists itched for the latter which would be a very bad idea, because if he did beat the Ice Bastard, not only would Juvia skin him alive, but Shorty would surely not be happy with him, hitting one of her friends. His will swayed between his heart wanting him to take action and his mind trying to reason him to lay low. For now, his problem was to keep his crazy friend in check so she wouldn’t target her animosity towards Shorty. He needed to divert her attention, but how?...

“Heard the Stripper doesn’t like girls that, erm-” He scratched his head, racking his brain that would make his bullshit believable. “-frowns.” That was the best he came up with? He signed at his idiocy. He needed to roll with it and do it confidently for her to step down. “Yeah, and you’re frowning like crazy, now. Gonna get wrinkles. Ain’t sure he gonna like that look…”

She gasped and rummaged her bag once again, surely to look for a mirror. He sighed and leant against the wall. Gajeel felt bad for using her gullibility against her, but they dodged a bullet. He bought them at least two minutes of peace. He rubbed his temples, trying to see how they could manage the whole train trip without wanting to jump in-between their two guildmates.

His thoughts were once again interrupted when he heard a clap. His attention had slipped for a nanosecond and now he couldn’t tell if it was a clap or a slap. Gajeel smirked, smug, knowing too well the bluenette’s feistiness. His Shrimp must have bitch-slapped that Ice Bastard. He wasn’t sure what for as he hadn’t heard, but he couldn’t imagine another reason than Shorty putting Stripper back at his place for whatever thing out of line he did. His certainty crumbled as soon as he heard the petite bluenette’s voice.

_“I thought it would be a good start for the trip,”_ Levy’s voice said.

Gajeel frowned, confused. Okay…So, clearly, she wasn’t mad as he first thought. Then, what the hell was going on over there? He cursed himself for not having paid attention from the start. Now, he was going blindfolded in this tailing operation (which was very different from stalking). He lacked too much information. Why was there a slap? His imagination was running as wildly as Juvia’s for some reason. That bastard better not have slap her perfect butt or the cabin would be repainted in red. He clenched his fist against his thigh. He needed to get a grip, he scolded himself. He had to stop overthinking this shit. They had to assert the situation correctly before acting. Otherwise, they could find themselves in a tight spot, having to explain why they were on the same train. “Out of pure coincidence” would probably not work.

_“The best…”_ Gray’s voice agreed. The man let out a sigh, that sounded far too close to a moan.

Gajeel’s rationality snapped at the same time as Juvia broke her portable mirror with which she was looking at her supposedly forming wrinkles. Even with close to no information, one thing was clear and that was that Shorty and Stripper seemed to be hitting it off pretty good, judging by the tone of their conversation. If the walls didn’t seem so painfully fragile, he would have punched it just to get some anger out of his system. How could he have been so stupid as to not see…whatever it was that was going on between the two Fairy Tail mages? And yet, he couldn’t help but feel like a goddamn fool. What did he expect? Everything about Shorty was perfect, even her imperfections, and there was simply no way that she would remain single forever. Caring for the girl without ever acknowledging it as love, only teasing her to express affection, was just never going to lead him anywhere with her. That fact was obvious and yet he just turned a blind eye on it, acting surprised that she was now slipping away, getting even further away from his reach. Why was he getting so worked up when he never had a chance to begin with…? Goddamn idiot he was…

Tear pooling in her eyes, Juvia cried. “This is all Gajeel’s fault! If he had man up and claim Levy, we wouldn’t be here!”

He rose an eyebrow, forgetting his sadness and focusing back on his anger. That woman had some nerve to accuse him! The only person who could beat Gajeel up about his bad decisions was himself and no one else!

“ _My_ fault?! I didn’t see your “Gray-sama”-,” he snickered, ironically quoting the way she called the Stripper to taunt her. “-have the ball to respond to you.”

The rain woman crossed her arms, defiantly. “Gray-sama has more balls than Gajeel would ever have.”

He almost choked at the insult. She went too far. “Oi,” the Dragon Slayer barked. “Don’t you dare insult my manhood! He ain’t shit! So-”

He interrupted himself when the train unexpectedly jolted as if it had hit something on the rails. The sudden movement made the Iron Dragon Slayer feel nauseated despite the spell on him. He cursed the inventor of this torture engine called train and all his descendants. Once the surprise passed, Juvia opened her mouth to defend her crush, but was cut short by the fury they both felt by what they heard on the other side.

_“Oh shit. Your dress…”_ Gray’s voice whispered.

What about her dress? Why was he noticing her damn dress? Sure, it always showed off her backside in the most alluring way, but damn it, the Ice Bastard had no right noticing it. “Oi, don’t look at her, you damn perv!” he growled though his only interlocutor was still the wall.

Juvia’s aura darkened once again, the air feeling heavy with hot fury. “Levy-san is a seductress. To believe she was a bigger threat than Lucy all along. Juvia must…”

Her sentence was cut short by what Levy answered, _“Nobody will ever know it happen.”_

Gajeel’s mind went blank. Again. What the hell was happening?! Not knowing was beginning to drive him mad. However, he looked at it, the situation on the other side was getting oddly steamy and he _hated_ it with every fiber of his being. He really couldn’t help but imagine the worst-case scenario and yet it still felt wrong, false. There was no way Shorty and the Stripper would ever… She showed no interest in the guy. Or did she? No. He would have notice. Not because he particularly observed her or anything, it was just that she was quite expressive and so he figured if she had started to like someone, he would have noticed… There were still things he didn’t know about Shorty. What if that pervert was her first love all along? It sent a shiver of disgust down his spine. His thoughts were running wild with an intensity that could have made Juvia proud if she wasn’t so deep in her own internal turmoil of despair. His mind was spiraling down, and nothing could stop it.

He heard fabric ruffled and all his senses were on high alert, putting a stop to his inner restlessness. The Iron Dragon Slayer was holding his breath, fearing his hearing would fail to pick up a sound or a sentence that could make sense of the situation happening on the other side of the wall.

_“Just take it off,”_ Gray’s voice said, commanding.

That broke the camel’s back. Stripper had crossed a line that he shouldn’t have.

“I’m gonna kill that bastard,” Gajeel growled. His whole vision turned red, as he imagined snapping like twigs all 203 bones of that Stripper. Rarely did he feel more anger bubbling up inside him as he felt now. He could still pretend that it was due to a sense of protectiveness he felt for Shorty. He was a fool, but not the stupid kind, more on the delusional side. And yet, deep down, he knew it was because he wanted her all for himself, heart, body and soul. His conscience would snicker at the obvious irony. A man with the past fit for a monster couldn’t hope to be loved by a woman with a heart of gold and the soul of a fairy.

He felt a hand on his arm, stopping him from leaving the cabin. Her eyes gave a clear warning about the threat he said in her presence. If he were to harm that Ice Cube, she would probably make him pay tenfold. Her powers, already great, took on another level when she was pissed. Oddly, even with that threat, the satisfaction of kicking Stripper outweighed the dread of her wrath.

_“Let me do it for you,”_ they heard Gray insisting.

They both froze (haha, pun intended). Gray wanted to take Levy’s dress off. What else was there to understand? There were no doubts. That fact echoed hollowly in his mind.

His body was tense with anger, but he felt something else creeping, that goosebump that warned someone of being in mortal danger. Her temper flaring had vaporized the tears of her previously sad state. Now, visibly furious and determined, Juvia had turned her body into her water form, her form disturbed by the simmering vapor of her anger. Looking at the Water mage paled, he knew that if he didn’t let his own jealousy slid, things could get messy fast.

“Juvia can’t take it anymore,” she said, springing towards the vent, her water body passing effortlessly through the grid, not even bothering pushing Gajeel out of the door’s way. She was already going for drastic actions. Instinctively, his skin shifted into iron scales, bracing himself for the chaos ahead.

“Rainwoman, don’t!!” he yelled, gripping her legs still somewhat solid, barely feeling the heat through his iron skin. “You’ll boil us all!”

He tried to yank her towards the floor, but she still held tightly to the vent, kicking to release herself from his grasp. He cursed when he received drop of waters on his head, realizing she started crying harder than before, provoking waterfalls. Her strength had seemed to have double, as she wasn’t bulging even with him pulling. Slowly she started slipping away. It left him no choice.

“You’ll hurt your Stripper if you go there!!”

Using his trump card, even at the price of his pride (acting like he cared about the well-being of that pervert), Gajeel felt her grip loosened, clearly taken aback by the prospect of hurting “Gray-sama”. It worked in his favour. However, as he successfully brought her down, water from her form splashed around the vent, some falling on him and some going down the outlet. He heard the muffled voice of Shrimp, asking, “ _What’s that noise?”_ shortly followed by the sound of water splashing down and two surprised screams. Had Juvia just flooded their cabin?

Gajeel rubbed his face, feeling oh so discouraged. Fucking hell and be damn all subtlety… They were done for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hehehe, I wonder who can guess what's happening on Gray and Levy's side!;) All will be revealed in the next chapter, do not worry~ It will be from Levy's POV! At the latest, I'll post the update on the 29th. I have the whole outline, all that is left to do is to write it while on this motivation streak! Don't forget I feed on reviews~
> 
> Once again, thank you for reading and the kudos, you guys are the best


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: The sentences in italic are the ones overheard by Gajeel and Juvia in the previous chapter (so you guys don't have to go back-and-forth between the chapters)^^

Chapter 4 : Misunderstanding With Disaster on the Side

Some would say they rarely saw Levy without a book in hand, especially when faced with the prospect of a tedious train ride, but, right now, her latest read remained tidily packed in her backpack.

Levy had been happy when Gray asked her to partner up for a mission. As much as she loved her own team, sometimes the Solid Script mage liked to break out of her routine. Her translation jobs and the typical investigation missions were fun, but she could use a more combat-oriented assignment for a change. After all, she had to see the pay-off of her training. Drilling offensive and defensive spells ever since her nomination in the S-Class Exam, the petite mage had improved. Even if her training was far from being over, there was one thing that she needed to work on: her confidence. Gajeel, and even Gray, told her to have more faith in her abilities and she had set her mind into having that assurance.

She and Gray had talked about everything and nothing, catching up, ever since they got on the train, as it had been a while since they hung out just the two. It only proved that far too much time passed since they last hung out. Rumors aside, Levy didn’t know much of what was going on in Gray’s life. Fairy Tail being as animated as it was, sensible people rarely had the luxury of simply enjoying a pleasant conversation without getting dragged into a brawl or a gossiping streak.

Levy was pleasantly surprised that their chat flowed naturally, as Gray was not normally the talkative type. She never feared that it would turn awkward between the two of them, but she was happy that they fell back in their casual companionship.

Her laugh echoed in the train cabin, as Gray sighed, recalling a particularly hectic mission with Team Natsu. Although she often witnessed the eternal rivalry of Natsu and Gray in the guildhall, hearing about it made her heart ache with a pang of nostalgia. Even though Fairy Young remained close and always hung out at the guild, they didn’t take missions together as much as when they were kids. Their talk instinctively shifted from their latest feats towards their youth. Digging up through her memories, she tried to remember what the last mission she did with the Ice-Make mage was. 

“If I recall correctly our last mission together was with Cana and Natsu, but I don’t know when that was...” Levy said, her finger resting on her chin.

Gray crossed his arm, leaning against the bench seat, pensively before nodding. “Yeah, the one where we had to catch the Rhinobugs that were destroying the fields of some huge farm.”

Levy wrinkled her nose at the mention of the insects. The Rhinobugs caused a lot of damage, eating crops as if they had bottomless stomachs, even though they didn’t exceed the size of a fist. The mission was rather simple. With nets provided by the landowner, they had to catch them all. As young teenagers, Fairy Young had few opportunities to take combat missions, to Natsu and Gray’s despair. A chase-and-capture job was the second-best thing in their book, but unfortunately the excitement of the challenge quickly died down as the hours stretched, making the task a laborious one under the scorching sun. The thought reminded how things got out of hand from there.

“Oh yeah, and Natsu got bored, whining about fighting, I think,” Levy smiled. “And you got pissed with him for doing nothing.”

Gray exhaled sharply, the memory still irking him. “That dumbass was letting us do all the work.”

“So, I suggested that we turn it into a game of who could catch the most. Of course, Cana had to push it too far, betting you’d win against Natsu.”

Gray rolled his eyes. “Obviously, I’d have win if that Flamebrain hadn’t gotten all excited and made the factory explode.”

Her eyes widened. How could she have forgotten! The farm was specialized in oversized vegetables so, near the fields stood a factory in which they worked on a growth solution. The information had obviously got lost on Natsu, going in one ear and out from the other.

“Yeah, and the solution to make the vegetables grow bigger fell on the Rhinobugs! They became huge! Like actual rhinos! What a mess it turned out to be…” Levy chuckled, recollecting their faces, when the realization of how much they messed up hit them. Truly unforgettable. 

“Well, the four of us managed to kill all the bugs,” he shrugged off, clearly brushing off his part of responsibility in the whole mess. Pushing the blame on the other was almost a trademark with Natsu and Gray, a trait she still found cute and amusing despite them not being children anymore. It was part of their charm and a way to show each other brotherly love despite their bickering, she assumed amused.

“Yeah, but not one crop survived. The owner was so mad!” Levy sighed, unable to refrain another smile.

“Not as much as Erza…” he muttered, dropping a sweat. “She gave us such a beating for making Gramps cry.”

The bluenette shuddered. If there was one thing she didn’t miss, it was being scolded by Erza when a mission ended up bringing more bills than paychecks. Despite some newer members’ belief, the red-haired knight didn’t only beat Natsu or Gray for misbehaving. It had happened to Cana and herself, too, and later Jet and Droy when they joined. Only Lisanna and Elfman were exempt from having an earful from Erza, both being smart enough or sweet enough to stay out of trouble. She suspected that having Mira as an older sister kept them in check.

“The repair bills were pretty upsetting…” she pointed out, now understanding better why they had face punishment as they did. It had been such a big deal that some regulations had been added since that incident. “After that, if we wanted to take a mission as a team, we had to have it approved by Master. I knew I didn’t want to go alone as it was much more fun with other people. I was happy for you when you joined Team Natsu, although I was surprised Master accepted.” She blinked, wondering if her comment would come off the wrong way, as if she implied that they worked badly or something like that. She quickly added, her tone sounding sheepish. “No offense...”

“None taken,” he assured, casually. He distractedly looked out the window, at the moon and then looked back at her, somewhat contemplative as if he was wondering for the first time why he had joined his team. “I just wanted a change of pace, I guess. Solo missions, after a while, become a bit boring.” He shrugged.

Despite his cool demeanor, Levy could tell that he missed the companionship that teams provided during missions. Like her other friends, she grew worried of Gray, being alone awfully often, especially around certain times of the year. She was no stranger to his history. Gray having gone through several period of grief, he often closed off his heart when overwhelmed with emotions. Cana and her were relieved when, with Lucy’s arrival, he joined a team with Natsu, Erza and Happy, breaking off his sporadic isolation. Even more, he softened, and Levy couldn’t help but notice it might be thanks to a certain Water Mage.

Despite his façade of him acting exasperated, Gray undeniably laughed more and showed more emotions around her. It was a subtle change, not noticeable for people who didn’t know him well, but some of his more observant friends did and were happy for him. He hadn’t come to term with it yet, being as dense as Natsu, but differently. Still, it was progress.

Although she sometimes wanted to tease him about it alongside Cana, Levy knew better than to do that if she didn’t want to kill his somewhat talkative mood. So, she decided against her better judgement to continue with their current topic.

“Yeah, that’s why I’m happy I didn’t go long solo after the Rhinobugs incident!”

“Ah yes, it was after this that you started taking jobs with Jet and Droy?” he asked. She nodded and so he said, “Ah, then it’s easy to guess the last time we went on a mission. You formed Shadow Gear three years ago, no?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed and then a daunting realization struck her. “Well, no, actually it’d be…11 years technically, counting our…absence.”

Even after a year, it still weighted on her. Being robbed of seven years hadn’t been an easy thing to swallow. Some members seemed to bounce back quicker than others, but having two of her closest friends, aged of seven years without her, made it harder for her to put it behind her. Something as innocent as her retelling an inside joke could bring her mood down, when Jet and Droy would look at her, puzzled, clearly having forgotten. Through the years, some of their quirks as a trio had been lost on her two friends, although their running gags remained fresh in Levy’s mind. It shoved in her face just how disconnected their worlds now were, and how much she missed out on their lives.

Feeling the warm tingling, an early sign of her eyes tearing up, she tried to discreetly wipe her forming tears. Levy blushed, embarrassed of having let her repressed sadness show by the mere mention of her teammates. She forced a smile.

“ _Ah sorry, I didn’t mean to get down on you like that._ ”

“No, I get it must still be, erm, a shock. I’m still adjusting, too,” Gray clumsily reassured her, rubbing his neck. Sensing he wanted to be supportive, but not feeling comfortable with the situation, she saw the Ice-Make mage settled for the middle ground by saying, “Same with Jet and Droy, but the team still stands.”

His awkward attempt to cheer her up worked. There were still things that remained the same and seeing the positive, such as their friendship intact, was the most important. The bluenette was grateful he directed their conversation towards a lighter course.

“Yeah. I was apprehensive at first, but we still do stuff like before. Like our Movie Nights on Friday, sushis on Tuesday and we still go occasionally indoor climbing. We talk like before. Well, kind of. More like catching up. I missed so much of their lives and…”

Her voice died down, not feeling strong enough to continue talking without her eyes threatening to tear up. Not wanting to seem weak nor making Gray uncomfortable, she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

“-and you can’t help but feel left behind?” Gray offered. She nodded, somewhat surprised by his unexpected insight. “ _Yeah, I feel it too_.”

It was true that he did have friends outside the guild that carried on with their lives, and rivals who worked to become strong. Levy wasn’t alone in this and was glad that, even if Gray wasn’t the person most in sync with his feelings, he didn’t refuse to talk about Tenrou and its repercussions.

“Yes, and thankfully, they get it, even if they don’t understand. Just as we can’t get the pain they felt during those years that never existed for us.”

Levy dropped a sweat as she felt the atmosphere grow heavier again. Couldn’t she even manage to put up a strong front like everyone else? Why was she forcing Gray to listen to her complain? She waved her hands, dismissing her depressing words. She awkwardly laughed, averting her eyes from her friend. “Ah, sorry, again…”

“Hey, stop apologizing,” he said, his surprisingly authoritative tone bringing her eyes back on him. His eyes had a seriousness that left Levy speechless. “It’s okay to be sad, as long as it doesn’t keep you down.”

His words cooled the burning turmoil that was taking place in her head, beating herself over not being her usual happy self. He was right. Feeling sadness, frustration and confusion was normal, as long as it didn’t lead her life any longer than her heart needed to process her grief. After all, he knew what he was talking about.

“Thanks, Gray,” she whispered.

He nodded and neither added anything. The silence that followed wasn’t awkward per say, but it didn’t have the familiar calmness to it. Levy racked her brain to find something that could bring the light tone they had earlier. Her growling stomach gave her the diversion she was looking for.

“Oh, I brought us soup!”

The bluenette rummaged through her backpack, taking out two thermoses. Gray’s face lightened up at the mention of the food, a demeanor usually associated with Natsu, but childhood memories often softened people in unusual ways.

“For real?” the Ice-Make mage exclaimed, as he took one of the thermoses she handed over. “Your Creamy Carrot Soup? With the bacon?”

It was a ritual of hers to bring carrot soup when she set off on long missions. Everyone could agree that a belly full of warm soup was a lucky charm and no mission could turn (truly) bad. She always brought a thermos for each person going on the job with her. It was something she did well before Team Shadow Gear and so her other friends had enjoyed her soup, unanimously bestowing upon her the role of “snack-bringer”, a role she kept throughout the years. The way Gray unfold the attached spoon and clapped his hands, thanking for the food. _The clap echoed through the cabin_. The gesture showed Levy that he remembered their small ritual and it made her happy.

“ _I thought it would be a good start for the trip_.”

He shoved a spoonful of soup into his mouth and let out a sigh of satisfaction, still approving of her recipe. “The best!” he declared.

They ate happily, still recalling some memory now associated with the snacks and Natsu’s motion sickness getting in the way of his usual gluttony. Levy was going to retell a funny incident with Droy when the train jolted, as if it hit something on the tracks. As Gray was getting up to see what was going on, the sudden halt made him lose balance, dropping his thermos on Levy. She yelped more from surprise than from pain, the soup having cooled down between the Ice-Make mage’s hands.

“ _Oh shit_ ,” he cursed. “ _Your dress_...”

The orange and lumpy stain soiled the bright yellow of her dress. It was her favorite, but all her years in Fairy Tail had her prepared for any eventuality, regarding the potential destruction of her possessions. Her friends being as rowdy as they were, she had learnt many tricks to repair or mend things. She had received her fair amount of food on her clothes during brawls, so it really didn’t faze her much.

“Don’t worry, it will wash off,” she said, nonchalantly. And with a mischievous tone, she added, “ _Nobody will ever know it happen._ ”

Gray rose an eyebrow, unconvinced, and then shrugged, conceding that she must know what she was talking about. “ _Just take it off_ ,” he suggested. “It will be easier. You can borrow my shirt.”

Levy laughed, as he was already taking his shirt off. “No need, I think I have a T-shirt and some short in my luggage.”

She got up and turned to her locker overhead. On the tip of her toes, her arms barely reached it. She heard Gray shifting behind her.

“ _Let me do it for you_ ,” he said, reaching effortlessly the compartment overhead. The tissue ruffling, he moved her luggage and brought it down to her. “Here.”

“Thanks.”

As she unzipped her bag, a clacking sound caught her attention. She looked around, wondering where it was coming from. Gray frowned, puzzled by her search. “What’s that noise?” she asked.

Before he could answer, hot water fell from the vent, splashing their whole cabin. Drenched to the bones, they looked at each other, bewildered.

Gray expressed in three words what they both felt, “What the hell?!”

At the same moment, their door slid open, a wary-looking middle-aged woman pushing a cart full of food and drinks.

“Snacks or refresh-” The lady halted mid-sentence, gasping at the scene before her. “Oh goodness, what happened, you’re drenched!” Not waiting for an answer, she quickly added, “Come with me, we must find you a new accommodation, poor dears! Come, come~”

She motioned to follow her, and they did, still puzzled by what just happened.

* * *

Saying that the train ride was a pain in the neck would have been an understatement. Inconveniences happened successively, most of which had no logical explanation. Still, it didn’t surprised Gray as misfortune rarely came alone. They had to change cabins several times due to various misfunctions. One time, the door had been mysteriously destroyed, the culprit never found, and another time, the thermostat was so low, that Levy had to put on several layers of clothes to not freeze to death. While being incessantly accommodated, the staff kept apologizing and the Ice mage knew it wasn’t their fault, but he simply wanted some peace. The incessant back-and-forth in the train made it impossible for the two Fairy Tail mages to get any rest during the overnight trip. The only positive thing in the whole thing was that at least nothing made them miss their connection to their second train.

The sun had begun its ascension, shining brightly over Shirotsume Town, when they finally got off the train. Levy had dark circles weighting under her eyes, and he expected that he had the same tired look on his face. He swung his bag over his back and they both walked toward the city hall in silence, drawing from what little energy they still had to meet with the client. The request had been made by the mayor on top of having an urgency seal, which meant they had to respond as soon as they could. Usually, rescuing missions were asked by the victim’s family, but has the number grew, it became a municipal matter. Gray really hoped the mayor wouldn’t be the chatty type, because all he wanted right now was to collapse on a bed and sleep off the trip’s fatigue and his displeasure.

Levy tapped his arm and showed a coffee shop. He nodded, not bothering with a verbal answer. A good dose of caffeine would do them some good. As proud members of Fairy Tail, they couldn’t present themselves as any less than their sharpest.

She dropped her backpack at his feet and entered the cozy-looking shop, peppier, probably happy with the prospect of a warm drink. He grabbed her bag to move it out of the way and went to the façade. He leant against it, waiting for his friend. His thoughts lazily drifted towards their job and its layout.

The plan of going off in the mountains right off the bat might need to be reconsidered. It would be unwise to venture in the icy mountains, sleep deprived.

They’d have to rent a room and gather some strength before facing the job’s challenges. However, it would mean that they would have to leave mere hours before sundown if they wanted to chase after the monster. Doing so would also be reckless. They’d have to wait for the next day. Although it daunted Gray to delay the mission, no one, even powerful mages, could do anything against the dangers of nature at night. 

He frowned and pondered on what to do when the petite bluenette came back with two cups of mochas. It was their favorite type of coffee. It was the perfect mix of sweet and bitter, Gray and Levy both agreed when first revealing their favorite caffeine drink although Erza used to defend her black coffee, saying it should be bitter through and through as dessert should be its sweet counterpart and not some sneaky thing like hot chocolate mixed in it. He gave Levy a tired smile, as thanks, before he took a sip of the recomforting drink.

They didn’t bother sitting at a table outside, at the terrace, preferring being efficient with their time, so they drank as they walked. When they stumbled on the main avenue, they could see the imposing, gothic-inspired building that served as city hall at the very end of the street. The walk took less than ten minutes. The doors on which intricate snowflakes-like designs were engraved remained open, welcoming them with the beauties of the wintery town.

Behind an oak-wooden desk, a young man sprung on his feet when he saw them. Jittery, he approached them and introduced himself as the mayor’s secretary. With a gesture, he invited Gray and Levy to follow him. Quickly, the nervous man went up the stairs, with an ease that let them suppose he had to go frequently back-and-forth the eight floors daily. Despite their good condition, the two mages had difficulties keeping up with the secretary’s quick pace. He knocked quickly on the last door of the corridor. A gruff voice allowed the visitors to enter and so they did.

In the middle of the vast office, a bulky man was staring by the high windows, overlooking the Snow Park below, duly ignoring the wobbly mountains of paperwork that threatened to fall all over his desk at any giving moment. He finally turned when his secretary stuttered their introduction.

“Ah!” the mayor exclaimed, his voice booming across the room. “The Fairy Tail mages! Welcome, welcome!” He gave them both a firm handshake and then motioned them to the lounge chairs, reserved for his guests. Gray followed Levy’s example and sat on the large sofa, perpendicular to the massive armchair on which the politician sat. He loudly encouraged them to be at ease. Gray sighed internally. That man had clearly never heard of inside voices. It was like the mayor felt that everything he had to say was worth shouting. 

The secretary quickly handed him the information sent from Fairy Tail when they notified the town that they were sending mages. As the mayor was reading the sheet, the nervous clerk offered them to fetch them drinks, which Gray and Levy both declined. Still, they were brought glasses of water.

With a huff of approval, the mayor put the sheet down and said loudly, “With your aptitudes, you two should have no trouble solving our problem! I thank you in advance for your hard work, Mr. and Mrs. Fullbuster.”

Said what now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Oops, they're not out of the woods yet... ;)
> 
> Chapter 5 will be posted the 1st of August!
> 
> Once again, thank you for reading, reviewing and giving a kudo! Hope you have a great day/night! Take care~
> 
> PS: A big thank you and shout out to my OTF cathelerein for beta-reading and coaching me on Gray and Juvia :3


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 : What’s the Plan: Play Pretend?**

With a huff of approval, the mayor put the sheet down and said loudly, “With your aptitudes, you two should have no trouble solving our problem! I thank you in advance for your hard work, Mr. and Mrs. Fullbuster.”

Their reaction was immediate.

“Oh, no, no, we’re not married,” Levy and Gray said perfectly in unison, her with a laughing tone and him with nonchalance. Seeing they talked in harmony, they exchanged a look of amusement and of slight discouragement. Their denial was bound to be misinterpreted.

“Aah~ Not yet,” the mayor winked, evidently viewing their moment of sync as a sign of romantic love.

All his shouting had turned the mayor deaf, it seemed. Gray didn’t get why people immediately assumed that a guy and a girl were a couple. Boys and girls could simply be friends. He didn’t understand what was so difficult to grasp about that concept. The Ice Make mage leant back on the sofa, disinterested, sensing that talking some sense in the man was obviously pointless. Usually, Erza or Lucy was in charge of doing the administrative talk. Gray had never been good with strangers and really didn’t see the point in small talk. The Solid Script mage took it on her to be the interlocutor on both of their behalf.

“No, we’re not a couple. We’re friends,” Levy clarified, politely.

The man straightened, visibly bothered. “Then, how are you supposed to do the job?” He asked.

Levy tilted her head, confused. “Sorry, sir, but I don’t see how the nature of our relationship is relevant in this.”

“Why, young miss, because the monster only goes after couples,” the mayor declared as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “What better way to get to it than being captured yourself? Don’t tell me you were just planning on going blindly to the mountains, hoping to find the culprit by dumb luck.”

At first, Gray had just assumed that the mayor’s insistence simply underlined that the man was just not the sharpest tool in the box, pressing the irrelevant matter of romance when there were more urgent matters at hand. However, when the man voiced the reason why he thought Gray and Levy were together, he saw a flick of logic. Flawed logic, but logic, nonetheless.

The Ice Make mage now noticed that he hadn’t really thought through on how they would find the monster. Indeed, they couldn’t just go into the mountains. The request said Mount Hakone, but with the vastness of the mountain range, it had a lot of space to hide and without proper intel any search would make the whole operation pointless, as it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Catching the monster in the act in town would be the most efficient way to approach the problem. 

He looked at Levy, who nodded, as she was probably several steps ahead. The bluenette brought back her attention to the mayor and asked, “Is there a pattern to the kidnapping, sir? Like a particular time or location that they occur?”

“In fact, yes, there is,” the man said, scratching his beard. “It always happens after sundown, which one of the reasons why we can’t seem to pinpoint the culprit when he runs away. As for the locations, they are usually romantic spots in the city-” he enumerated them, propping up a finger to each location he named- “like the Ice-Sculpture Museum, the Snow Park or the Books & Nobles bookstore.”

Gray frowned. Giving the fact that the kidnappings happened in so many different locations, the “pretend-to-be-a-couple” plan had a major flaw. Obviously, they would be in only one place and so if it happened elsewhere, they would be powerless to intervene. Splitting up would help them cover more ground which would increase their chances in catching the monster.

Levy asked some more questions to get a better picture of the kidnappings, taking notes diligently. She listened attentively even when the mayor lost track of what he was saying or adding unnecessary information. He finally summarized some of the rescue missions that had failed, as it seemed they always failed to close in. Then, the man said, his shoulders dropping slightly and his brows furrowed, “It is why we can’t properly predict where the next kidnapping will strike…And now, so many young people are missing from our city…Even, my own son…”

Along his speech, his tone had lowered, weighed down by guilt and worry. Gray adverted his eyes, unease with the now tense atmosphere. He itched to just go and get the mission done with.

Having been through a similar situation, having his loved ones taken away from him, he knew the time of uncertainty, not knowing if they were dead or alive, was just as bad if not worse than the striking reality of their death. The finality hurt bad, but the hope of making it on time to save them and then failing hit differently and that pain, that guilt, rarely healed completely.

“I see… Thank you, sir. I promise we will find the missing people and bring them home safely,” Levy said, softly. “With everything you told us, we now have a plan with which we can’t possibly fail.”

The man gave her a weak smile, his sadness taking away his loudness. Her eyes held a confidence Gray was weary of. Such promises weren’t always good to make. Sure, they would complete the mission, beat that monster and they would both try their very best to save everyone, but as much as he hated it, sometimes life just took away without a second thought. Not liking where his train of thought was heading to, he got up. Now that they had all the information, they had no reason to delay their leave. They just get started as soon as possible.

Levy shook once again the mayor’s hand, who assured them both that he would pay for their stay in Shirotsume while on the mission, where Gray simply nodded. They were escorted to the exit by the secretary. The fidgety man handed them two special passes, issued by the mayor that allowed them to visit the attractions freely and that indicated to put the hotel bills at his name. Gray was surprised at that excess of generosity. Normally, mages had to pay for their own hotel rooms when on a mission, but well, he wouldn’t complain if it was offered. Levy had apparently won the mayor’s good grace with her good-nature personality and it was fine by him.

At the doors, the secretary pointed them the direction in which was the Windgust Hotel. Levy thanked the clerk and then the two Fairy Tail mages walked away in silence, each deep in thought. Gray was still pondering on which approach they should take: “pretend-to-be-a-couple” or splitting up. Personally, Gray would be more comfortable with the second option as it would also be more efficient in his opinion. But seeing how Levy took notes and assured the man she had a plan, he figured it would be wiser to ask her input on the matter. He trusted she would have taken into account the possible shortcomings they could face.

“So, do we pretend we’re a couple or we split up to cover more ground?” Gray asked, glancing to the bluenette. “You seemed to already have a plan.”

She looked up, pensively. “I don’t know if we can pull the couple card…” She left her sentence hanging and then looked at him, offering him a cheeky smile, as she added, “I mean, you’re a bit of a tsundere.”

The Ice-Make mage rose an eyebrow, somewhat shocked by this unexpected verbal jab. Had it been someone else like Natsu, he would have punch them, but with Levy, he knew she didn’t mean it like an insult, but rather as a teasing joke. However, Gray still didn’t like being mocked in any way and wouldn’t stand idly by. He settled by returning her taunt in the same fashion.

“I won’t take that from you, giving the guy you like,” he snorted, thinking about the growing intimacy between her and the Iron Dragon Slayer.

To his satisfaction, he seemed to have struck a core with the bluenette, understanding exactly what his tone hinted. Levy’s face turned as red as Erza’s hair. She stammered, “I-I…W-what? How do you…?”

“It’s not rocket science, Levy. Well, for the few of us who actually have a brain,” he said, thinking that Natsu and some others surely hadn’t caught up, being as dense as they were. Seeing her eyes still wide with apprehension, he reassured her, “I won’t tell anyone if that’s what you’re worried about.” He stopped himself from rolling his eyes. As if he would ever gossip.

“Thanks…” she whispered, relieved. “In exchange I’ll keep your love secret, too,” she unnecessarily added, playfully.

He knew that denying anything between Juvia and him would be meaningless, but old habits died hard and so he found himself, averting his eyes, mumbling, “I really don’t…” Hearing how unconvincing he sounded, he stopped and sighed.

Levy rolled her eyes, amused. “You might be able to fool yourself, but you can’t fool me, Gray. Like you said, it’s not rocket science and even if it was, I’m confident my brain could still pick it up.” She grinned, pleased at herself for using his words against him.

Gray groaned, remembering to have thought the petite bluenette would not be the type to push his buttons. Although, he couldn’t find it in himself to be mad. For one, he could say he was somewhat amused by her cheekiness. However, he still dodged the implications she suggested, “scolding” her.

“You’re actually as terrible as the others. I take back what I say about you, being cool.”

“We both know you’re the cool one,” Levy laughed. “I’m the smart one.”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s move on,” he scoffed at her terrible pun. “There’s the hotel,” he said, as he spotted the Windgust Hotel’s elegant insigna.

Upon presenting their special pass, two rooms were quickly reserved under their names. Gray listened absentmindedly, barely registering the facilities listed in the hotel, as he doubted that they would extend their stay more than a single night. The receptionist handed them their keys and pleasantly wished them to enjoy their stay in their establishment.

They climbed the stairs to the third floor and halted in front of Levy’s room which was only two doors before Gray’s.

“Let’s sleep on this and meet at the lobby at, let’s say, four.” Having seen in the lobby that it was barely 11, he counted that it would give them more or less five hours of sleep. “I still have some things to think through for our plan, but I think we will go with splitting up.”

“Sure,” he nodded. “You should sleep a bit, though.”

“Yeah, I’ll take a nap before! See you,” she waved, before stepping into her room.

Gray felt more relaxed upon hearing Levy say the plan would be more focused on covering more ground. The thought of romantic masquerade didn’t seat right with him. Not only would it awkward to fake feelings, but it would be tiresome, period. Besides, another thought struck him even more: Juvia. If the Water mage ever saw Levy and him pretending to be a couple…Gray didn’t dare imagine what would happen. He shuddered before entering the room, rest being most welcome.

___

Juvia pointedly ignored the looks she was getting from the hotel’s employees. Sure, the sight of a hyper vigilant young woman and a gangster-looking guy snoring loudly would have caught anyone’s eyes, but it was mainly for the fact that they had sat in the lobby’s bistro/bar for the past five hours, only ordering a cup of coffee for Gajeel and a tea for Juvia.

The bar was the best place to do surveillance, giving a full view of the lobby. Unexpectedly, the duo was the sole customers of the bar despite the evening starting. Juvia didn’t take into account that their strange appearance was keeping other customers away. The staff was beginning to itch to kick them out, but something in the aura of the two mages told them to go against that idea. The waiters fell back on darting them with disapproving glares, hoping they would understand the message.

Unfortunately for them, Juvia had a thick skin when it came to other people’s judgement of her and so, she had little interest for their displeasure. She was on a mission for a sake greater than they could possibly understand. Gray-sama’s affection was worth way more than their social norms of not monopolizing a whole bar for her tailing.

She hadn’t slept in more than 25 hours and yet not an ounce of fatigue weighted on her shoulders. With her magic and the versatility she could have from it, she had often been given espionage jobs. Sometimes going days without sleeping for the sake of a mission, Juvia had gained an undeniable ability to concentrate thoroughly for long periods of time (a talent she preferred thanking her passionate heart rather than her unsavory time in Phantom Lord).

Her eyes were glued to the entrance from where she knew Gray-sama would arrive from. A quick flick to the clock overlooking the hall let her suppose that he would come down any second now. Having followed them to their floor, but remaining hidden, Gajeel had picked up with his enhanced hearing that Levy and Gray-sama had agreed to meet back at four after a nap. The cumulated stress was somewhat loosened when she heard her beloved ask for two _separate_ rooms. A small smile full of smugness stretched her lips. Despite Levy’s seduction attempts, Gray had rejected her advances, much to Juvia’s joy.

Despite her moment of panic in the train and the small incident that resulted from her elapse, nothing significant had happened between Gray-sama and Levy. Gajeel and her had successfully followed without being noticed by their crushes, as they slipped away in time after the flooding of the cabin, thanks to Gajeel’s quick thinking. Though Juvia still remained somewhat restless, because of Levy’s proximity to her beloved, the Water mage was pleased to see that her crush didn’t engage more conversations with the petite bluenette during the rest of the trip.

She readjusted her oversized sunglasses, a valuable part of her elaborated disguise. Half her face was hidden thanks to them, but she could see the whole lobby in a delightful shade of pink, a color that softened Gray-sama’s manly features, a contrast to his taciturn demeanor she sometimes enjoyed seeing.

Speaking of which, the said Ice Make mage went down the few steps to the lobby. Her eyes were so focused on him that she felt she could see sparkles gleaming from how refreshed he looked by his nap. Her hands clasped against her chest, she signed, contented, all her previous agitation forgotten.

Only when he smiled at Levy who had called him out did she break out of her daydream. With a horrified gasp, she swung her arm, hitting Gajeel in the stomach.

“Fucking hell!” the Iron Dragon Slayer yelled, half-startled, half-angry of being woken up in such an untimely manner. His back slammed against the counter, his detective hat slipping off his head. Although the Water mage had insisted that he had to put a disguise, the only thing he agreed to wear was his suspicious-looking detective outfit which consisted of a trench coat, a hat and aviator sunglasses. A terrible choice, really, but at least he was complying. In a way.

“Shhh,” she hissed. “They’ll hear us.”

A vein seemed to pop from his forehead. Maybe, she shouldn’t have woken him so energetically, after all. “Says the squealing woman,” Gajeel growled, annoyed. His eyes flicked between her and where she was pointing. “Ya can’t think you’re being subtle, for real.”

Juvia scoffed, bewildered by the audacity of his statement. Her friend practically had a sign pointing at himself by how suspicious his costume was. The Iron Dragon Slayer didn’t seem to differentiate stealth and subtlety, thinking he mastered both when he really was just good in the former.

“That’s funny coming from Gajeel-kun, because everyone can see your costume from miles away.”

Saying it, she nervously glanced at their two guildmates who seemed too focus in their conversation to notice Gajeel. Feeling that she needed to step up her game to make up for her friend’s lack, Juvia reached for a newspaper that was stacked on the counter, usually something patrons would read with their morning coffee, opened the large sheet and, as she spun on her stool, faced the lobby in a way to hide her hair, something that could give herself away. Gajeel, at least, didn’t have the reflex to do as she did, which would have been suspicious to say the least. However, she angled the newspaper to hide him too from where Gray-sama and Levy stood. Not noticing a thing, or not caring, Gajeel defended himself. 

“My costume is awesome,” he said, smug as he readjusted his coat. “Ya don’t know what yer talking about.”

Gajeel and his stubbornness! She listened to him when he was acting reasonable. Why couldn’t he do the same now? He was quite frustrating at times, thinking himself infallible when he clearly wasn’t. He was sticking out like a sore thumb in his trench coat and fedora. How could he not see that?

She sighed. In this trip, it seemed that not only did she have to school him about love, but also about espionage. Both tasks required dexterity and patience on Juvia’s part, as the Iron Dragon Slayer’s pride would get in the way if she took a direct approach in correcting him when he was curiously confident in his abilities. Espionage was her area of expertise, although he had done undercover work. He was more of a double agent type of man, in her opinion, which were worlds apart.

Judging by his closed posture, confronting him directly was pointless. Fighting a knowing smile, Juvia knew that she would have to use his own weapons against him, giving him an alternate version of when he said her “forming wrinkles” would drive away her beloved Gray-sama from her. The Water mage knew that Gajeel and her weren’t _that_ different…

“Well, if Gajeel-kun wants to creep out Levy, it’s on him,” Juvia said, careful to sound nonchalant. She then added innocently her advice, “A detective is out of place somewhere full of _waiters_ …”

With his male pride, Gajeel would want to think that the idea had come from him, which Juvia had no problem letting him believe that. His furrowed brows showed her that he was taking her recommendation seriously.

“I’m hungry,” he muttered. “There’s iron somewhere near.” He turned away, maybe to hide the faint shade of a blush behind his gruff attitude.

With a smile, she accepted the lame made-up excuse he gave her before he slipped away. His cute and awkward side was endearing and was coming up more frequently since he grew closer to Levy. Juvia was happy to witness her friend gradually coming to terms with his soft side. Well, not quite yet, but eventually, he would.

Now free of her movements, she got up and walked elegantly towards the far edge of the bar, where Gray-sama and Levy were discussing. She didn’t notice the eyes that followed in her wake, solely looking ahead. She settled for the third stool from the left, not to be too conspicuous. She threw her hair on her right and rested her face against her left hand, her appearance casually concealed. Sometimes the best disguise was to hide in plain sight. Without ogling, that is… Focused, Juvia eavesdropped, catching Levy’s voice.

“I’ve been going over the plan and couldn’t help but sensing we were missing something,” Levy explained, with a seriousness similar to a teacher talking to a student. “I mean, let’s say we do find the monster. Then, what? We beat him, but what about the other couples? We’ll never know where they are held. We would have to follow the monster back to its lair.”

“Yeah, but at night, it’d be suicide,” Gray said.

Juvia nodded to Gray-sama’s common sense. She ignored a muffled yell coming from her right, followed by the ruffle of clothes behind brusquely manipulated.

“Exactly,” Levy approved. “So, I figured we just tail him by sticking a locating rune on it. I finished the stickers earlier.” She showed him pieces of paper on which writings covered them thoroughly. “When one of us who find the monster, we will simply stick it on him, undetected, and it will automatically track him down. I have the map that will pinpoint his whereabouts.” She beamed, which Gray returned with an approving nod.

“Awesome. So, let’s split up.”

A surge of joy overtook Juvia. She had noticed since her arrival in the town that there was an awful lot of romantic spots (as she had feared). In her heart, the Water mage had thought she would have to witness the intolerable sight of Gray and Levy strolling in this charming ambience. However, all her worries were lifted by him, turning away the presumed seductress. Gray-sama’s professionalism left no place for distraction; it was admirable and one of the many qualities she loved about him.

“I imagine you take the library?” he asked, his tone swaying between light sarcasm and amusement.

Levy nodded energetically, her happiness being obvious. “And you, the museum? You wanted to see, no?”

“Might as well,” Gray shrugged. Levy gave him a knowing look and started to move away. The Ice-Make mage called out for her, “Don’t forget to _eat_ before you get lost in the books.”

“I won’t,” she laughed. “And you, don’t lose your clothes!” She skipped towards the exit but turned around and said, “Enjoy the Ice sculptures! See you around midnight?”

He nodded and waved. Before the petite bluenette was out of sight, Gray went to the reception, seemingly to ask for a map of the city. She waited for him to be gone before going to get one herself to see where this mysterious museum with Ice Sculptures was when a movement behind the counter caught her eyes. Gajeel stood there in a waiter’s outfit, but his necktie crooked. To complete his disguise, he was polishing a glass with what seemed to be a rag to clean the counter rather than the dishes. She rose an eyebrow, bewildered. She hadn’t expected him to actually go through her suggestion, let alone so fast.

“Where did Gajeel-kun get these clothes?”

His eyes were overlooking her, scanning the lobby behind her. “Uh? Where they go?” he asked, ignoring her question.

“Gray-sama and Levy just left.”

The news made his demeanor go from alerted to exasperated in a flash. “Great.”

“But not together,” Juvia smiled, still happy by that fact. “They each went to a different place. Levy has gone to-”

“Let me guess,” he interrupted, deadpan. “A bookstore?” 

Although the answer wasn’t much of a surprise, it was endearing seeing Gajeel knowing his girl so well. Her grin widened in approval. He simply scoffed, “annoyed”, averting his eyes, as it happened undoubtedly each time he let some hint of his soft side show, acting immediately disinterested to “regain” his “I-don’t-care” attitude. Silly Gajeel was shy, Juvia thought fondly.

“DAVE?! What happened to you?” a woman’s voice cried, clasping her hands against her mouth.

Gajeel looked behind him, unbothered. Tiptoeing, Juvia glanced to look at what had caused the commotion. A large man was sprawled in the floor, unconscious, bearing only his underwear. A good bump was already forming on the side of his head. Juvia looked at her friend with mild disapproval. One could think she was displeased about his action, but it was rather about the sloppy way he handled it. He shrugged, disinterestedly, as to brush off his implication. However, the staff didn’t plan on letting it slide.

“Security!!” the abashed woman called out. She pointed at Gajeel and Juvia. “These two assaulted poor Dave!”

Two beefy guys in suit came their way, one of which cracked his knuckles. The guards’ ridiculous display of confidence was funny because, even without moving from where they were, it wouldn’t take one second for Gajeel and her to put both guards down. Having known the Iron Dragon Slayer for several years, Juvia knew that, with him, missions, or even simple outings, always ended with them fighting their way out of situations. It wasn’t the first time Gajeel unnecessarily provoked people, sometimes by defending her from mean comments, and more often than not it would force Juvia and him to display the full extent of their strength to get out of his messes. She didn’t mind his straightforwardness that brought trouble. It made him who he was: her silly and moody best friend. Besides, it surely wasn’t the last time they have to fight their way out either.

Juvia laughed and said fondly, “Gajeel-kun is always overdoing it.”

“Gihi, can’t let things go boring,” he smirked. She rolled her eyes, amused. Missions were never boring with him, that was for sure.

He jumped on the counter and made a run to the door, knocking down glasses and earning the cries of protests of the whole pissed-off staff. One of the guards threw himself to catch Gajeel who dodged, propelling himself by transforming his legs into iron poles, extending above everyone’s heads. Juvia swiftly ran, following his example. The second guard stood, his knees slightly bend, ready to tackle her. Such a brute wouldn’t touch her. Elegantly she slid under him, as a flow of water, reforming herself behind the man. Their escape must have left their pursuers dumbfounded, because after three blocks of zigzagging, they seemed to have lost them. Gajeel and Juvia exchanged a proud grin, slightly panting more from the thrill of their run than from fatigue. Despite the shadows of their past, they had some good memories of their teenage years as friends and avoiding trouble was one of them.

“So,” Gajeel trailed off. “Erm, we meet later? Can’t let Shorty alone when there’s a monster on the loose…”

Juvia nodded. “Gajeel-kun can go save his crush and-”

“She ain’t my-” He tried to cut her off, but she continued, unfazed, talking over him as well.

“-Juvia can accompany Gray-sama to visit the most romantic museum there is.” The Water mage felt a blush of happiness colored her cheeks, as she happily took her leave of the grumpy Dragon Slayer.

Her natural optimism let her hope that fate would let them both have a delightful date with their respective crushes. After all, a girl could dream~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Although I really wanted to include Gajeel and Juvia's reaction to the Mr. & Mrs Fullbuster, I decided to not include it because it would mess with the flow of the chapter as a whole :') So, I'll leave it to your imagination how our BROTP reacted~
> 
> Next chapter will be posted somewhere around mid-August^^ Stay tune, because it's going to be pure Gajevy ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: …First, let me apologize for the delay :’) I have two reasons (excuses) for it.  
> 1) In August, I badly injured my hand (I’ll spare you the details, but it was nasty) and I had to go to the hospital every day for almost two weeks. Now, it’s alright, it’s healing nicely, but I must confess that my mind wasn’t into writing at the time. Which brings to the second reason.  
> 2) When I finally worked on the chapter (post-injury), Gajeel was being SO difficult to write. I wanted a breakthrough chapter and he was being so infuriating! Probably my own fault, but when it came to the Gajevy interaction, I wanted it to be perfect. So, I re-wrote the chapter many times over. It also explains why in the end this chapter ended up being monstrously long (15 pages) and now is split in two…  
> This chapter is more Gajeel-centric, but it’s still Gajevy-ish! But since most of you who commented also seem to like exploring the depth of these characters, I think you’ll like this chapter, nonetheless. Besides, you guys get two Gajevy chapters instead of one~  
> Hope it will make up for the wait :D (Thanks again to cathelerein for beta-reading :3)

Chapter 6: Ironbound to These Feelings

“Goddamn Juvia and her big mouth,” Gajeel cursed under his breath as he parted ways with his friend. His exasperation was more part of his usual persona than from actual annoyance towards her. If he were honest with himself, which he rarely was, he’d admit he was rather envious of her confidence. Especially her confidence in… love. Juvia had said loud and clear what he tried so hard to fight silently: his infatuation for Shorty.

Too late did he noticed that his role as a protector, his way of paying amends to the small fairy when he first joined Fairy Tail, had changed into something else. The sense of protectiveness had turned into love. Mortified at first by how someone vile like him could desire someone pure like her, he couldn’t help but feel like he was becoming a better man by her side. Just before the S-Class Exam, he had told her he would make her big, but really, she was the one that helped him grow in more meaningful way.

The Iron Dragon Slayer, despite loathing his greediness, did nothing to distance himself from her. Neither did she. She’d always seem up to train with him and Lily. She even asked for his help, deciphering some parts of Draconic texts. Of course, Gajeel kept himself from asking why she hadn’t already asked Salamander.

He was really one greedy bastard, always looking to have her time, always trying to have her by his side. Yet never did he thought on acting on his feelings. It didn’t matter how much he enjoyed being with her, he always unconsciously told himself to back off, as he was undeserving of her.

Grumpy, he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked purposefully as people parted way upon his menacing aura. Juvia’s words echoed in his mind, the easiness in which she spoke of crushes and love. Gajeel snorted, miffed, startling the pedestrian closest to him. She had acted as if he should follow her example, being the love-smitten mess she was. As if he could.

It was easy for Raindrop to be so open about how she loved Stripper. She didn’t mess up like him. Sure, like him, she had met her Ice Bastard during the dumb war between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail, but unlike him, Juvia didn’t have blood tainting that memory.

Visions of Shorty’s blue hair dangling in front of her unconscious and battered face, hanging by iron manacles of his making, her pale arms stretched weakly, helpless and crucified, still haunt him. The pale scars that still circled her wrists despite all this time were the grim reminder of the monster he used to be, something that somehow pained him more than Metalicana’s departure ever did.

The nightmare he had put her through made it seem like a sin for him to want her the way he did. He held onto that thought, that truth whenever he felt his resolve grow weak or his heart ache for her. Shorty deserved happiness with a good man, a prince from one of the books she loved so much, to woo her and live her happy-ever-after. This thought showed him what his redemption was, justified the restrain he imposed himself whenever he imagined seeing a spark of longing in her hazelnut, doe-like eyes when their eyes met or when their hands brushed. So far, he had managed to honour his word, his silent promise to ensure her happiness.

However, what happened on the train hit him like a ton of bricks.

All his restraint he afflicted himself, forbidding himself from wanting more than the blissful status quo _snapped_ when he had thought Shorty and Stripper might get together in a more than friendly way.

The Iron Dragon Slayer always prided himself of being strong, but since the previous night, he felt anything but strong. His knees felt weak, ready to give in, whenever his thoughts went back to his previous assumptions. Rarely had something paralyzed him like the prospect of Shorty being in another man’s arms.

The inevitability of her eventually falling in love had been shoved in the back of his mind. The impossibility of a man good enough for her always kept the prospect of her settling down a mere afterthought. And so, turning a blind eye had helped him not getting too greedy. Now, the jealousy he once pegged as justified protectiveness overflowed him when he thought again of when he believed the Ice Bastard was being too forward with Shorty.

A low growl escaped his gritted teeth, scaring some more people, some wondering if they should contact the authorities on the clearly pissed man. Still oblivious, Gajeel shook his head, reprimanding himself for being a terrible person. He had no say in Shorty’s relationships, but damn, did he hate it when any man was acting too familiar with Shrimp. There was one thing he hated more than that: the cowardice he felt. A cowardice he now knew was born from his fear of getting his heart broken, a heart he hid behind iron walls.

Now something overshadowed that fear. The void he felt of having Shorty taken away from him, not being able to tease her, to play with her hair or watch her read, scared him more than the possible rejection, as rightful as it would be.

Torn between his resolution to let her to be happy by being with a good man and his desire of being that man for her, he ripped the bow tie from his waiter costume, feeling suffocated, and threw it aside, wishing he could throw along his cowardice with it. No one around him felt the need to reprimand him for littering. His scowl dissuaded even the fiercest ecologist. At this rate, his thoughts would make him spiral down to a dark place, something he neither had the time for nor the patience, hating with passion his own emotional weakness.

The Iron Dragon Slayer took a deep breath, forcing his muscles to relax. He couldn’t let his jealousy get the better of him. Shorty was out there and so was some forsaken monster. He needed his focus on what mattered. He chased away disagreeable thoughts like the Stripper’s face and focused on what never failed to calm him: Shorty. Even though she was to some extent the source of his turmoil, still the thought of her could soothe him, nonetheless. Relieved from his grey thoughts, he brought himself back to his self-appointed mission.

His eyes flickered around, trying to figure out where his senses had subconsciously taken him. The shopping district bustled with people and activity and shone brightly despite the sun having begun its descent. He walked down the street and looked around, searching for a bookstore. Finding none, he focused on his smell to guide him to the bookworm.

His nose slightly up in the air, Gajeel caught a fresh trail of Shorty’s paper and flower scent, sensing she was nearby. Swiftly he followed it, relying solely on his sense of smell to find Shrimp. His eyes searched the area for any possible sign of threat from the monster Stripper and Shorty mentioned.

Gajeel was shocked by the sight of the humongous and very modern building in front of him. Expecting an old stone building with arks and columns in which would be stack thousands of ancient tomes, the sight of a modern construction made of bricks and tall windows, shining brightly with too many lights on, threw Gajeel off balance. The bookstore, if this really was what it was, blocked the way of the street he was coming from, standing tall and proud. It looked as if breaking the quadric organization of the town was the least the citizens could accept, giving the mighty aura the building gave off. Its name “Books and Noble”, a neon-bright insignia, was the only evident indicator of the building’s purpose.

Looking right and left, seeing no other hint of shops on the street he stumbled upon, it was all but one store. For several seconds, he stood there, dumbfounded, trying to comprehend how and why the freaking bookstore was a whole block long. The Iron Dragon Slayer grew discouraged upon the realization that on top of that, it was four storeys high. No wonder why Shorty had been so hyped about the prospect of going to Shirotsume Town.

Gajeel sighed. So, Shorty was somewhere in there, waiting for a monster to attack. Right. She would more likely get lost in her excitement and bounce around for hours, flipping through the pages of any book that caught her eye. Though he didn’t doubt her professionalism and her seriousness, he didn’t underestimate her passion for books nor bookstores. She once told him that reading and buying books were two separate hobbies, so in this case, she was good to go for several hours. Probably until closing. And after people called Dragons and Dragon Slayers hoarders? Bullshit. They had nothing against bookworms. He wondered how many books she would buy this time and how she planned on carrying them back. He sighed again, but this time amused, imagining her doing so.

Giving the fact that she was on a mission, the petite bluenette would probably be more into an internal dilemma than a fun book-stroll. She would make such funny faces while debating with herself, faces Gajeel never got tired of seeing and made him ache to tease her even more.

He didn’t even notice he walked in light steps, eager to see her, his foul mood long forgotten. When the doors opened before him, all his senses were flooded, as the bookstore was packed with people. Looking for a tiny blue-haired mage in there would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Lucky him that he was a Dragon Slayer and had enhanced senses or there was no way he would ever find the bookworm in this maze.

He made his way towards the imposing staircases that sat in the middle of the store, splitting in two to ascend in a winding fashion, a design more fit for a castle than a bookstore. The arrangement was repeated between each floor. His nose brought him to the third floor. A placard indicated that it was where the Romance and Contemporary section was alongside a café. Taken aback, Gajeel rose an eyebrow. He was sure she was going to be in the language section or ancient texts on the last floor, where more academic topics seemed to be.

When he saw the coffee shop area, he understood why she headed there first. The rest area seemed to be the epicenter of love and her mission being about kidnapped couples, who must probably go to cheesy spots like that, thus where the monster would most likely strike. He had heard that Shirotsume Town had many romantic spots for couples, Juvia hammering him with unlikely scenarios in which Ice Bastard and Shorty were on a date on such locations, but seeing the bookstore now, he understood what they all meant.

Even downstairs, there was a sober elegance to the place, its immensity softened by pastel tones and simple book-related decorations. However, the third floor clearly had love story as its theme with pale pink on the walls, tall windows giving view to the city, bouquets of flowers thoughtfully arranged and low chandeliers with dim light hung over the café area where tables for two were placed in front of a stage where undoubtedly musicians played soothing songs. Although it said to be a café, it had a bar vibe to it, too, surely adapting itself depending on the time the patrons came to the counter. At the moment, the tables were all packed, people chattering, facing an empty stage, seemingly waiting for some sort of event, a glass in hand. He turned his attention away, still fixated on finding the petite bluenette among her fellow bookworms.

Only one step in and heads were already turning in his direction. Normally, his height hadn’t been a problem; in fact, it often helped him in combats and such. Now, he towered most people by at least half-a-head and his dark self clashed acutely with the soft pink around. Fortunately, he wasn’t wearing his usual combat attire. He was still clothed with the waiter’s outfit, a casual chic kind of suit. He pulled the collar, uncomfortable, hating that the shirt felt a bit too tight, wishing that Dave guy had spent more time at the gym to build some muscles and wear reasonable-sized shirts. The only advantage he saw was that, at least, he blended more, as most of the men were wearing “nice outfits”.

Suddenly, the sight of blue hair moving amid the bookshelves snatched him out of his thoughts. It brought him back to his current problem: he still stood out too much. He couldn’t even use the bookshelves, as they seemed to stop at his chest, given that all he could see from Shorty was the top of her head. _Gihi, she really is a tiny shrimp_ , he thought humorously. Even if the fact that everything was made so small annoyed him more often than not, he couldn’t stay mad as it just made her look even cuter than she naturally was.

Instinctively going in her direction, his eyes glued to her, he walked stealthily, only stopping to a bookshelf further, opening a random book to not look suspicious. Looking at her, he saw a vision he came to be familiar with; her with head slightly bend over, reading through the titles, her eyes full of stars, a smile plastered on her face.

Gajeel chuckled at his forgetfulness, now recalling something vital. Discretion was irrelevant.

Shorty, once in the vicinity of books, could not be bothered by anything. At all. Not even brawls in the guildhall could break her concentration, which at this point could be considered a superpower in its own right.

Only sometimes when he was particularly determined to annoy her would she look up from a book, but while browsing, he bet he could stand next to her and she wouldn’t even notice him. As much as it wounded his ego, he knew it to be true. Hell, now that he thought about it, even the Ice Bastard wouldn’t measure up to be a decent rival, not when it was clear that who he battled most of the time for her attention was books.

Gajeel exhaled sharply, half-sighing, half-snorting at the thought. Goddamn books. He thought that, but in the beginning of his friendship with Shorty, he gave reading a go, wondering what the buzz was about. After that, although he never admitted it, Gajeel kind of got hooked on crime novels, unexpectedly enjoying the mind games, the suspense and the badass attitude of detectives and, before he knew it, he needed a bookshelf to stack the books he bought.

Only Lily knew and it was because they were flatmates and because he built the bookshelf in Lily’s room in case Shorty visited them. The Exceed teased him about how Gajeel should tell her about it, saying it might make some progress in wooing her but he stubbornly refused. First, because he wasn’t trying to seduce her and second, even _if_ he were, the Iron Dragon Slayer refused to use such devious way to do so. He wasn’t a bookworm, wouldn’t act like one. Gajeel wouldn’t deceive her, making her think he fit some of what would be her dream boyfriend, because he knew he was light-years from that.

From where he stood, he saw Levy opened a book, brought it to her nose and flipped the pages, taking in the smell of fresh paper, humming softly. Closing the book and examining the cover more closely, she brushed her thumb against the book cover, fondness in her eyes, as if she was holding a treasure. _His tiny dork was so fucking adorable_ , he thought fondly.

And that’s when it clicked. The use of the possessive pronoun when referring to her made him realize. He was in love with her and there was no point in denying it. Not anymore. It clicked because despite everything it still felt _right_.

Before he could feel guilty of wanting her, Gajeel pushed away the annoying little voice in the back of his head. The pain of imagining someone else taking Shorty away from him was still too fresh for him to listen or care about what his conscience had to say.

His feelings were too strong to be ignored. Hell, he had just traveled hundreds of miles on a whim simply because of his untamed jealousy and desire. Until now, he had never acted upon his feelings because of cowardice. When would he stop denying himself this chance of happiness? When it would be too late? Why mopped and act jealous when he was the one who put himself into the same goddamn pattern of “I’m too shitty for her, she deserves better”? Well, yeah, she did deserve better than a bastard like him, but why did it stop him from doing something, anything, about the warmth he felt in his chest whenever he looked at her?

Maybe, he could afford to be selfish. Maybe, he could afford to try his chance with her. Her standing there, radiating calm happiness, was a light he would eternally feel pull to. Why was he even trying to deny his attraction anyway? The worst that could happen was that he would receive the punishment he deserved, a vibrant “no” from the woman he loved but hurt the most. The only thing that could get his emotions under control was that one word said with disdain and aversion that would shatter his heart, but quite rightfully so.

He mentally rolled his eyes at his melodrama. As if Shorty could be cruel and break his heart. The girl was too kind for her own good. The greedy bastard that he is was simply taking advantage of her forgiving nature to his own gain. She really did deserve a better man than him, but he’d be damned if he ran away still. By facing his feelings head-on, he would either walk towards a bright future or get the “no” she had every right to say.

To squash the remaining guilt that still hung on his heart when his resolution solidified, he swore to himself that his past mistakes would be a reminder to always thrive to make her happy. The thought lingered just like his eyes did on her, as she twisted a lock of hair between her fingers, still entranced in her browsing. No matter what he was to her, he would ensure her happiness. As a friend, if she allowed it, or as a lover, if she desired it…

An amplified voice made him jump out of his wits. “Ladies and gentlemen! I hope you’re all having a lovely evening!” Gajeel turned his attention towards the stage from which the voice came, glaring at a grey-haired man dressed in a striped suit, a microphone in hand. He had a mustache so long it stretched past his face each side, sticking out like two caterpillar defying gravity, giving the man a whimsical air to him. “I’m so glad so many of you came to our event: The Bookish Couple Tag! We’re already at our ninth edition of this contest, can you believe it?”

People cheered, expressing their approval and joy. Minding the commotion, Gajeel concealed himself behind a pillar, in case Shorty walked away from the event, as he really couldn’t see what the thrill was about. Although when he turned to Shorty, he noticed she had stopped looking the titles to listen. It must be quite the event to even make her stop her browsing. The Iron Dragon Slayer, whose interest had plummeted, was now curious.

“I’d assume most of you know what the game is about, but in case, there are people who don’t know, I’ll explain!” the host said, punctuating his sentence with a low bow, unnecessarily overacting his persona. The last precision felt like a jab directed to him so, for good measure, Gajeel rolled his eyes. “As the name suggests, it is a game for couples, loosely inspired from the Newlywed Game. One will be designated as the book lover and the other as the book lover’s lover.” The man winked, playfully, who was way too proud for his lame word play. “I, your devoted host, will ask bookish questions to the couple. They both must answer as the bookworm of the couple would. For each identical answer the pair has, they will earn points. Naturally, the couple with the most points will win our grand prize! May I remind you that it is a Books and Noble gift-card of 50 000 Jewels along with two book themed shirts that match!”

Shorty’s eyes shone with awe and delight; her mouth slightly open in disbelief. Even the Dragon Slayer couldn’t deny that the prize was kind of impressive. They really went big on it. The people went on cheering. Another employee jumped on stage and whispered something in the animator’s ear. Moving the hand to uncover his mic, the gray-haired entertainer revealed a slight change of plan.

“Due to technical difficulties, the event will be delayed by approximately fifteen minutes. However-” He lifted in the air a glass box filled with folded papers. “-it gives you more time to sign up if you haven’t already! Don’t miss your chance! Now is the time to show your bookworm how much they mean to you! Show them how well you know them!”

The announcement of the contest felt like a sign of destiny, as if the heavens actively encouraged him in his courting. He frowned in disbelief. Sign of destiny? Who was he? Juvia? He was clearly spending too much time with the Rain Woman for thinking such nonsense. He didn’t know if he should thank his friend for the inspiration her babblings had brought or if he should take a break from her and her romantic frenzies.

Yet he couldn’t help but feel that these words were meant for him. Instinctively, Gajeel looked at Shorty. What he saw made his heart sink. She had averted her eyes from the stage, looking down, her shoulders slightly dropped. Even without seeing her face, he knew that no smile was illuminating her demeanor. She was sad and it upset him.

All considerations about tailing (still not stalking), discretion or precaution flew out of the window the moment he heard her sigh, resigned. His tough talk or Juvia’s schemes didn’t matter anymore. Happiness was the only emotion he wanted to see on her cute face. Or annoyance (he still wanted his fun at teasing her). But not sadness. Not when he could do something about it.

Without completely cleaning the slate on their common past, because unlike her, he didn’t have the strength to forgive the monster he had been, so without forgetting, he could still take this opportunity for a new beginning. The first chapter in which he would resolutely pursue her.

A mischievous grin stretched his lips when he looked towards the stage. Shorty was in for the surprise of her life…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: And so begins the fluffy romance~ We had our fun with the friendships (and will come back to those, do not worry) but, for now, the SHIPS^^ Chapter 6 and 7 are Gajevy-centered and Chapter 8 (and probably 9, knowing myself and my lengthy chapters) will be Gruvia~  
> Thank you once to you all lovely readers, especially for reviewing and kudo-ing! I really enjoy seeing what you liked in the chapters~ It makes my day everytime^^  
> Hopefully, Chapter 7 will be up in two weeks (ish), but with school starting, it will be harder to update as frequently as during the summer~ Still, I’ll keep working hard!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This chapter is dedicated to lavenderain, Tatortot122800, NinjagirlRebecca, General_Zargon, BlossomingRosebud, Amilon_9226, PencilofAwesomeness, the_comeback_kid, polkadotpink and all of you readers that read this story for Gajevy^^   
> Thank you for reading and for your support:) And as always, props to cathelerain for beta-reading!

Chapter 7: He’s her Favorite Trope

Levy turned away from the stage, unable to restrain a resigned sigh. Of course, some romantic event with a bookish theme would take place in this bookstore, pegged as a must-see for couples.

Normally, witnessing romantic activities didn’t really bother her, but recently it made her feel…low-spirited. If she lied to herself, she could say it was because she was disappointed to be refused the right to participate to a bookish event simply because she was single. However, the truth was that it wasn’t the book part that bumped her; it was the reminder of the fact that she wasn’t with a certain someone. She hadn’t really care before if she was in a relationship or not, but lately it seemed to daunt on her.

But again, it wasn’t her relationship status that disheartened Levy. It was rather the fact that whenever she was faced with something remotely romantic, her thoughts always wandered back to a topic both her mind and heart were particularly fond of in the last months: Gajeel.

Levy couldn’t pinpoint a moment, a precise event on which she could tell she fell in love with him. After accepting his help for the S-Class Exam, she never expected to grow so close with the Iron Dragon Slayer, but it clicked so naturally. Behind his gruff attitude and his scowling face, which really was just a façade, there was a fascinating soul.

As she got to know him, the bluenette found herself discovering sides of him she never would have guessed he possessed. His gentleness with children. His patience when teaching others. His particular love for music. His not-so-well-hidden softness for everything cute. His sharp mind when it came to strategy, fighting and intel. His frustrating habit of teasing her about everything, especially her height.

Without noticing, she started to look for him whenever she entered the guild. Without noticing, she started to spend more and more time with him, even finding silly reasons to justify seeing him when she felt a weird shyness holding her back. Without noticing, she was talking with him everyday and missed him whenever he was out on a job.

Despite having developed her mind through extensive reading and learning, her brain took its sweet time to catch on what was happening. It wasn’t until the snickering remarks and sly glances from her friends nagging her about Gajeel that she did catch on her feelings.

At first, she denied having a crush with passion, but after some time, she finally admitted it out loud. Though, it was obvious to see that her friendship with him didn’t feel the same as with the others. His teasing and their bickering should have been good hints that she had a crush, because his words made her react unlike anyone else’s. She could ride highs and hit downs simply by the way he looked at her or something he said. Never before had her emotions been on such a roller coaster. It was tiring, but also exhilarating.

And yet, Levy couldn’t find it in herself to work up the courage to face her feelings and act. Confess to him. Make a move. _No_ , a petty voice in the back of her mind told her. _He would never see her as anything other than that shorty, nerdy friend_.

She never had a problem with her self-esteem, although she could admit she sometimes felt envious of some attributes her girlfriends had that she didn’t. Even if she never considered herself particularly beautiful or sexy, Levy knew that she was kind of cute and had some pretty traits, like her hair, her lips or her eyes. Still she couldn’t help but feel that guys prefer the sexy over the cute. Surely, that’s what Gajeel would like…right?

 _Well, it didn’t matter_ , she tried to convince herself to move on. _They wouldn’t be a good match,_ she thought without much conviction. Their interests were too different, weren’t they?

Even in the improbability of him returning her feelings, Gajeel would never accept to do such a couple thing with her. She never saw him reading a book for fun. So, no. It wouldn’t interest him in the slightest, and therefore, there was absolutely no reason to be sad. Books were her thing and he made it quite clear whenever she talked about her latest read.

Still, there was this intensity he bore when looking at her, listening seemingly intently when she talked about books which made her uncertain about her belief of his disinterest. Gajeel might tease her relentlessly, but he never dismissed her fangirl talk and always listened, not making her feel silly about what she loved.

Maybe, he felt something similar to the fondness she felt whenever _he_ talked about something he liked or was passionate about, like his trainings with Lily or his manual work with the scrap metal he hoarded. The hint of excitement he carefully buried beneath his rough demeanor would gleam back on the surface, a sight she never got tired of seeing. Levy couldn’t help but feel somewhat privileged of seeing his layers slowly shading off in her presence, a sign of trust that would make her heart flutter with anticipation. It made her hope that… No. No false hope.

The bluenette massaged her temples. Her weak attempt of moving on was obviously not working. As much as she fought it (and it wasn’t much), Gajeel still haunted her mind. She simply was looking for excuses to justify why she shouldn’t tell him about her feelings. As if she could convince herself that because “they would be ill-matched”, she should give up, and then moving on. As if it would be somehow more bearable.

Could she even manage to do that?

After all, her heart would flutter every time he was near or when their eyes would meet unexpectedly or when he replaced a lock behind her ear or when she knew he was trying to make her smile. Every new discovery about him enraptured her more and yet it was never enough. Levy wanted to know everything about him, to solve this mystery of a man, to have him for herself... She couldn’t help but to compare the evolution of their relationship to one of a novel. Like in a book, they went from enemies to friends. It was a trope she was fond of, particularly when the two characters ended up becoming lovers. And even if Gajeel and her weren’t lovers, she did fall hard for him.

She chuckled lightly. She was such a nerd, always bringing everything back to books. _Just like Gajeel always says_. What could she say? She was a helpless romantic. Which meant there was no way she could move on. Not without trying. Her heart was already too invested for her to quit without a fight. She had to tell him. The conversation would make him feel awkward, and she would feel bad about it, but it was necessary because she knew that his “no” would be the only thing to make her move on.

Yet, even with the rational part of her mind telling her that, a fleck of hope still lived on in her heart. It might be crazy, but she sometimes got the impression that… they were about to kiss. It seemed to be on the brink of happening after a long talk or a particularly heated argument. Her wishful thinking could swear that in those moments he was leaning towards her as she would subconsciously tiptoe. But then, he would look away or she would feel too overwhelmed.

After the moment passed, she would curse her cowardice, still wishing it would happen some day. Though waiting idly never proved to make things happen.

Maybe she could be bold and ask him if she could kiss him. Never had it graze her mind to simply kiss him on impulse. She personally disliked when characters would do that in books, kissing without any form of consent being given. Knowing that she wouldn’t like that a guy she wasn’t interested in romantically kissed her without warning, it was only fair to not subject Gajeel to such a thing. If she saw an opportunity, she should ask… but she didn’t feel she had enough courage.

She still feared his reaction, the awkwardness that unrequited love could cause to their friendship. Losing their current closeness was scary. Could she really risk it even for something more, something even better? Not that friendship was any less than romantic relationships, but with him, she wanted something different, because she felt differently about him than with her other friends. She wanted to mean as much to him as he meant for her. She wanted a more intimate relationship, feeling her love always growing. She wanted to build a future with him, be a family…

She sighed, discouraged. She was getting intense again, but she could hardly help it. Even though she was more discreet than Juvia or Erza, she still had those sweet dreams of love. The only problem was to work up her courage.

 _A good start would be to stop finding excuses_ , she scolded herself. Maybe she could act upon a sign, something fate or life would send her way to give her the courage she currently lacked. Yeah. She’d wait for a sign of destiny and she would tell him how she felt. Convinced it wouldn’t be anytime soon, she felt both relaxed and thrilled by the prospect of her future confession.

“Last question!” the host shouted, jolting Levy from her reverie. “With a possibility of two points, let’s hope you can straighten your score…”

The bluenette bit her lips, both amused and discouraged by herself. It was bad enough that the thought of him made it difficult for her to focus, namely on reading when they were both at the guild, but it was worse when it kept her from focusing on a job when he was hundreds of miles away.

No cry nor commotion so far. The peace indicated that the coast was still clear of any kidnapping monster. She checked her satchel, in which was carefully placed her pen and the tracking stickers. If or when an attack would happen, she could quickly reach for both. Giving a quick inspection of her surroundings, she concluded that if the monster struck, it would indeed be on this floor, and it would come crashing through the windows for a swift in-and-out incursion. It would be illogical to go through the staircase as it would alert the people of its coming. So, the windows were the most sensible option. She stayed clear of the tall bay windows but kept a watchful eye on them.

In the distance, bells rang, announcing 6 o’clock. There was still time before anything happened. Skimming the information the mayor provided them on the kidnappings, Levy noticed that the hours of the assaults kind of followed a pattern, depending on the day. If her assumption were correct, as of tonight, it would happen in an hour more or less. She shared her finding with Gray and so they agreed that if neither of their stakeout place was attacked, they would try to find separately the actual location of where the monster was, as quickly as possible. It wasn’t the most flawless plan she came up with, but given what they had, it was the best they could manage for now. 

Levy decided to allow herself a five-minute break before focusing seriously. She walked to the bookshelves against the wall, that elevates higher than the ones in the middle of the large room. The books were all so inviting… Buying one book wouldn’t hurt. Besides, there was a couple of new releases she was impatiently waiting for that were probably out by now. After that, the bookworm would feel much better, or would at least stop reminiscing her feelings. Books could take her mind of anything, so why not indulge herself with one innocent buy?

The label read “paranormal romances”, this genre being exactly what the bookworm’s mood was down for. Maybe reading about fictional characters pining for each other would take her mind of her own fruitless love life. Looking at the colourful spines, she still debated with herself if she should or not. Those books were always light and fun, the writing setting a nice flow, making the read quite enjoyable. Though, should she really when on a mission?

Being surrounded by books cleared her thoughts from the ache she felt, but it also kept her away from her responsibilities, one of them being to keep people safe from a monster going rampant. Even if she had “time”, it was no reason to actually go book-shopping.

No, she shouldn’t.

She wasn’t here for books. It didn’t matter if it helped her, emotionally. She just had to pull herself together, the normal way, the non-bookish way, like a mature woman such as herself would. She wasn’t sure what it entailed or meant, but at this point, she simply had to try pushing away the temptation of books.

Levy turned away, crossing her arms, as if it would solidify her resolve. Her willpower wavered. Her eyes flickered back to the bookshelf. One book would _really_ take her mind off what her heart couldn’t have, soothe the turmoil within. And then she would be able to concentrate on the mission at hand.

Giving in on her weakness, indulging herself with one exception, she read quickly the titles from down to up when she suddenly recognized a book she was looking forward to get her hands on. Unfortunately, the book was neatly shelved two feet higher. No stool rested nearby, and no employee were in sight.

The petite bookworm pinched the bridge of her nose, annoyed. Why were bookshelves always too high for people with normal heights? Even on the tip of her toes, her fingers wouldn’t even brush the shelf on which it was. Gajeel would be able to reach without difficulties.

She sighed, discouraged with herself to always bring everything back to her crush. She really needed to get a grip and stop thinking about him. Well, at least, not so often. Before she could set her mind into asking for help from an employee, a muscular arm grabbed the book. Strangely, light was caught on dots on said arm, looking very similar to studs. Her eyebrows shot through her hairline when she spun around and came face to face with none other than…

“Gajeel?!” the bluenette gasped.

The absurd belief of having summoned him by mere thought did cross her mind. The odds were so improbable. He must be an illusion. Yet not even her daydreams could pay this much attention to details. Before she could utter another word, Gajeel, or his illusion, smiled his trademark smirk, handing her the book.

“Ya would have reached it if ya had drunk enough milk as a kid, Shrimp,” he snickered, visibly proud with his comment.

Momentarily forgetting the improbability of him being there, she huffed, “I’m normal size! You’re the giant one!”

“Yer just jealous because bookshelves are designed for people my height,” he said, falling back to their old bickering routine, as if his presence there wasn’t the most improbable thing to occur. He ruffled her hair, messing up her neatly tied orange bandana. She waved his hands away, trying to ignore the heat surely coloring her cheeks because of his touch. He was real. Obviously. But, why was he here of all places?

“Stop messing my hair! What are you even doing here?” she asked, bewildered. Could she have missed something at the guild? Maybe, he was here for the same reason as her. “Are you on a mission?”

“Of sorts,” he said, a shadow of a smile on his lips, as if he was amused by a joke only he knew of. 

There it was again. The fleeting sight of a secret, just out of her reach, one that her curiosity was dying to discover. It was frustrating how disarming he could be with those smiles, rare and always full of mysteries. She was not going to settle for that weak explanation, because coincidence like that just didn’t happen in real life. Evasive answers wouldn’t do it. However, true to himself, he found a way to take control of the conversation with one teasing remark.

“Vampires, huh?” he smirked, referring to the book she was holding. “Yer into biting or something?”

“I am not!” Levy immediately denied, feeling weirdly embarrassed. He just had that knack to push her buttons in the most surprising way.

“Hey, not judging you for your kinks, Shortstuff,” he said, too smug to her liking.

She crossed her arms, defiant. However, no matter how reactive she had become since being friends with Gajeel, she always gave him a run for his money because, after all, two could play that game.

“That’s rich coming from a guy that looks like a vampire,” she sneered, before patting wittingly her canines. She could have alluded his red eyes too, but his long canines deliver her message quite eloquently.

“Oi, I ain’t some goddamn sparkling vampire!” he objected, almost growling, subconsciously showing his teeth, as if he wanted to prove her point. “I’m way more awesome.”

Levy laughed at that. “You brood just like one.”

Gajeel stared at her, a stud eyebrow rose with defiance, softened by his smirk. “Ungrateful shrimp,” he scoffed. “Just you wait, I’ll put back that book high and see who’s laughing then.”

He made a move to take the book back. Levy promptly pulled it away. She knew full well how Gajeel would not give up his playful threat and would most likely hold the book out of reach, in hope of making her jump hopelessly to catch it. Instead she gave in this time, apologizing, good-humoredly, “No, no! I’m sorry. It’s obvious you’re cooler.”

“Damn straight I am.” Gajeel crossed his arms and held his chin higher, proud that she recognized his awesomeness.

Levy rolled her eyes and laughed lightly. He was such a dork. Whenever they were together, they would start to bicker or act witty with the other. It was almost impossible not to. After all, they did nag each other, even on missions. Speaking of which…That thought made her remember that he still had evaded her question.

She looked at him, hugging the book against her chest. Why was he here? Just when she thought of him? Just when she decided she would confess upon a sign of destiny? Why had life such a wicked sense of humor? After all, even if the stars had aligned and he was indeed on a mission in Shirotsume Town, what were the odds that he would be in the same bookstore as her? Gajeel might be stubborn but so was she.

Her willpower on getting answers would not waver whatsoever and if he hadn’t learnt it by now, he would discover it tonight. She straightened herself and faced him, although his attention was turned elsewhere, seemingly towards the stage.

“No, but seriously, how come you’re here?”

Before she could nudge him and tell him to stop avoiding her question, a booming voice interrupted her.

“Couple number 3: Levy McGarden and Gajeel Redfox!”

She jumped out of her wits when she heard her name being announced. Why on Earthland was she being called? Her overthinking brain went rampage, trying to understand. Going from the most insane explanations to the rational ones, she figured someone might have recognized her as a Fairy Tail mage. The guild being so popular, it happened that people would approach her to take a picture, have an autograph or simply talk. Not quite often as Erza or Mira, but it was a possibility. One thing that puzzled her was the amplified voice. It seemed to come from the stage. Wasn’t that for the Bookish Couple Tag? Why? She never signed up for that. Wait, hadn’t they called Gajeel too?

Turning towards him, she saw the Iron Dragon Slayer unfazed, which only confused her more. Frozen in place, she watched him walk towards the stage, as naturally as ever. It could only mean one thing…

“Y-you signed us up…?” Levy stuttered. She was too surprised to even judge her own lack of aplomb.

Could this evening go any crazier? It was only mere minutes ago that she had deemed this scenario impossible, this scenario of Gajeel and her doing a bookish activity together. Like a date. Like a dream.

Yet, there he was, standing there looking oddly pleased. Was this…planned? She simply blinked, unable to compute. Giving her his signature smirk, he nodded towards the stage and said, “C’mon, Shrimp, we have books to win for ya.”

It hadn’t been romantic words by any stretch, but those words coming from his mouth made her stomach flipped, swarmed by an army of butterflies, and her cheek heated with shy happiness. She followed him without a word, afraid of losing her composure when plagued with so many emotions.

The showman welcomed them warmly before turning to the crowd, hyping them with the current scores. She barely caught on what the commentator was going on about until he turned towards them. Her dizziness was barely fading away. Everything was still too surreal for her rational mind, even after realizing it was indeed reality and not some dream.

“First, before we begin, who’s the book lover and who’s the bookworm lover?”

The question abruptly brought her back to her senses. Before she could answer in an automatic response that she was the book lover, she halted herself at the second part. Bookworm lover? As in…her boyfriend? Would Gajeel…

“The Shrimp’s obviously the book lover,” he said, not batting an eye at the question’s implication. Levy hoped with all her might that she wasn’t as red as she thought she was.

“Alright! So, the question will be addressed to you!” the commentator announced, cheerfully, pointing at Gajeel. “Once again, I’ll tell how the games goes! You both have a white board before you and you both have to answer our bookish questions as the book lover, in this case, Miss McGarden would. Every identical answer will give you a point. The more points, the more chances to win our big prize. Currently, the best score is 8 points out of 10. Good luck!”

It was a good thing that Levy already knew the game because she had not listened to a single word. She was still too dazzle over the fact that Gajeel hadn’t deny the “bookworm lover” implication. She fought her heart to not have too much hope, but it was hard. Despite being considerate, Gajeel never allowed himself to have his relationship label beyond partnership. Besides, hadn’t he said they were there to win some books for her? He probably saw her long for the books and wanted to help. How ironic that she longed for him more.

An assistant came up with two white pads and erasable markers and handed them to the white-haired showman. Her heart was pounding against her chest. She had to clear out the misunderstanding before her hopes about the possibility of him reciprocating her feelings piled up.

“Gajeel…”

“Trust me, Shrimp, we got this,” he cut her off, as if he thought she wanted to back down. He opened his pen and gave her a smile full of cocky confidence. “Just answer ‘em truthfully.”

Levy tilted her head, amazed. All her uncertainty was forgotten. That smile…That damn smile. It could have made her forget even her name.

The host called them out, “Okay, no more talking! We start with an easy one! First question: what’s your bookworm most recent read?”

It was the book she brought on the train and finished before her nap, earlier. She couldn’t recall if she had brought it with her to the guild before leaving. The bluenette gulped. The game was off with a bad start. However, as Gajeel asked, she truthfully wrote the title of her last read. She turned her board when the countdown hit zero. Her eyes widened when she saw the answer on Gajeel’s board. **Gods of Shadow and Jade.** Just as it was written on hers.

“Why, miss, don’t drop your jaw! Your boyfriend _does_ listen to you,” the host joked, to which the crowd laughed.

That wasn’t the point at all! She hadn’t talk to him about the book. How did he even manage to catch that title? It took her less than a day to read it. Well, maybe, she mentioned it once to him, because she had waited for the book for a while, but even then…had he really listen so intently to her to remember such a detail? He cared. Not just about her, but the things she loved. The thought brought her more happiness that she would dare to admit.

“Question number two: Hardback or paperback? Extra points if you add why!”

Now she was curious on just how much he could answer about her love of books. She turned towards him, and saw Gajeel giving her a small nod, confident. Levy rose an eyebrow and wrote her answer quickly. She bet he could answer the first part, as it was quite easy, but there was no way he remembered the reason.

When the countdown struck zero, they both turned their white boards at the same time. She almost dropped hers when she saw her exact answer written in his square-ish calligraphy: **Paperback. Cheaper and they’re easier to carry around.**

Her dumbfounded expression drew a smirk on his face. She returned his smile. Maybe, she should stop underestimating him. The man was, after all, full of surprises.

“Question three: Do your bookworm read a book in one sitting or over several days?”

Gajeel snorted loudly. Levy herself had difficulties restraining an amused smile. He answered **A book in one sitting, if not several books** where she modestly wrote the first option.

“Question 4: A book your bookworm always recommends you.”

Once again, they had the same answer: **A Study in Scarlet.** Although Levy must admit that if he didn’t know _that_ one, she would have taken offense on it. After all, every time they went to the park where he would sit by her side while she read, he would complain about boredom after five minutes, on which she would invariably recommend that book. The bookworm knew he complained simply “for good measures”, because he had no obligation to stay by her side. He simply did. However, she could not _not_ recommend a book; she found satisfaction in getting back at him like that for complaining.

Besides, having discovered he kind of appreciate the whole detective kind of persona, she figured there was no harm in recommending a crime novel. Sure, he hadn’t read it yet, but she always had her copy ready, just in case he wanted to borrow it. A mystery and an awesome partnership, two things he liked! One day, he might let his curiosity get the best of him and give it a try. Just like Lily had. A girl could hope.

“Question Five: Favorite trope.”

Gajeel paused, looking a point on the floor, as if stun by a trick question. The host caught on his expression.

“Sir, do you know what a trop-”

“Yeah, gimme a minute,” Gajeel cut him off.

Levy was nervous because honestly, she couldn’t tell if she knew the answer to that because, well, there was _no_ good answer. It was the kind of thing that changed with her mood. She bit her lips, looked at him, then back at her board, before scribbling the first one that came to her mind.

Unfortunately, her **Enemies-to-Friends-to-Lovers** answer mismatched his **Dark and Mysterious Love Interest.** She wanted to facepalm. There was no way he would have guessed that! It was _way_ too specific.

Too specific… She felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. What an idiot she was! Couldn’t she more clearly spell out that she was in love with him?

“Well, well,” the host laughed, looking at Gajeel’s board. “Judging by your answer, sir, you do know why this young woman is with you, do you not?”

Levy almost choked on air. She re-read his board. How did his answer tell anything on their relationship…?

“I’m sure you were her dark and mysterious love interest,” the host spelled out for her, wiggling his eyebrows to her. He then turned to Gajeel, looking as if he had something to add. What she saw surprised her. Despite his tan, she could swear there was a faint blush coloring his cheeks. Their eyes met and Gajeel quickly adverted his, re-directing his attention towards the host. The imposing Dragon Slayer had the exact same face he had before jumping to Natsu’s or Gray’s throat. The white-haired man sensed the danger and quickly dropped the subject.

“Okay, question 6 is the contrary: Tell us her least favorite trope.”

Gajeel’s scowl lessened, now considering the question, looking for the answer. Levy couldn’t help the smile forming on her lips. His embarrassed side was so cute, and he could never completely hide it, much to Levy’s joy. Her own embarrassment was long forgotten, overshadowed by the silly happiness of him, being there and trying to remember her bookish quirks. She wasn’t even sure her childhood friends from Fairy Young could have answered as much as him. She stared at him, feeling overwhelmed by the affection she felt for the Iron Dragon Slayer.

No, she wouldn’t deny it.

It wasn’t like with Gray, where the thought of them together as anything else but siblings felt weird. With Gajeel, it felt good, felt right. She realized she had been lost in thought when she saw the countdown hitting 3. Hastily, she wrote her answer and showed it, matching this time with Gajeel’s: **Girl’s Life Changes Because of a Boy.** Another point was added next to their names on the list of contestants. They were faring fairly well with their five points, exceeding the last couple’s score.

“On with the next question! And try not being jealous~” the host winked to Gajeel. The man seemed to have no basic sense of preservation. Keeping up with his cheekiness, Gajeel’s patience would wear thin. “Who’s her fictional husband?”

Gajeel scoffed, as if the mere thought of him being jealous of a fictional character was the most absurd thing he had heard. However, he wrote with too much force, clearly annoyed by the question, probably out of embarrassment and was now pointedly avoiding Levy’s eyes. She bit her lips, trying to contain her laugh. She would have to cast some iron for him to thank him for doing this with her. The bell rang and they both gave their answer. She burst out laughing when she saw Gajeel’s matching hers with one glaring difference: **Fucking Mr. Darcy.** The crowd joined her hilarity, and some guys shouted their approval to his choice of word. Gajeel simply shrugged, acting indifferent to his unwavering streak of good answers while Levy was smiling so much it was starting to hurt her cheeks.

“Question 8: The fatal flaw of your bookworm!”

Gajeel rolled his eyes, a smirk halfway between amusement and exasperation, and Levy was ready to be displeased by an obvious jab coming her way. She un-huffed her cheeks when she saw the accuracy of his observation: **Cannot DNF. Must always finish the book.** They now had seven points.

“It’s going good, they might catch up with our finalists!” the host said, excited. “Question 9 will be tricky, though! What is their favorite book?”

The Iron Dragon Slayer gave the man a look that roughly translated to “man, you got to be kidding me with that stupid-ass question”.

“So far, no couple has succeeded in having the same answer! Let’s see if the streak will continue or will break here!”

Levy let out a discouraged sigh. Well, that was unnecessarily defeatist, but the host surely wanted to keep things interesting by adding some suspense. She exchanged a look with Gajeel and they both shrugged. Levy didn’t mind that another impossible question for bookworms was thrown their way. She didn’t mind if they didn’t win. She had way too much fun with Gajeel to dwell on such an insignificant detail. One of her secret dreams had come true and there was nothing that could spoil it. What wasn’t her surprise when once again on both boards was written exactly the same thing: **Too many.**

The host’s jaw dropped while the spectators let out an admirative “woooah”. The improbability of a bookworm being decisive about their favorite book was what prevented anyone of having a perfect score. And yet they did it. Levy couldn’t contain her joy, jumped off her chair and went hugging Gajeel. She sensed him stiffened, but before she could back off, worrying of having been too forward, he wrapped his muscular arms against her. His signature laugh eased her worries.

“Gihi, we’re winning this shit, Shorty,” Gajeel grinned. “Told ya you could trust your ma-, trust me with this.”

“You’re really the best,” Levy said, pulling away from the hug to admire his cocky smile. She felt so thankful to have him by her side and her emotions made it hard for her to articulate what her heart yearned to express. “I really don’t know what to say…” she finally admitted.

“Your praises are a nice start.” His voice had grown quieter, as if volume would diminish the meaning of his words. “But, really, anything for ya, Shrimp…” His hand held hers, soft and warm. With his thumb, he struck the back of her hand. Amazed by the tenderness she saw in his eyes, she forgot everything from where she was to what they were doing and bluntly asked, “Can I kis-”

“Okayyy, lovebirds, before celebrating, let’s wrap this up with our last question. Question 10: The upcoming book your bookworm is most excited about?”

Levy jumped and nervously laughed. Gajeel downright growled at the white-haired entertainer. The bluenette went back to her seat, anxiously replacing her bandana which hadn’t move at all. She timidly asked the host to repeat the question and then wrote on her board the book release she was most excited about. One she had just talked with Gajeel, half an hour ago. Her answer was **Midnight Sun** where his was more crudely put as **New sparkly vampire book that titled Midnight Something.**

“Do we give it to them?!” the host asked to the crowd. “It was close enough, wasn’t it?”

The crowd agreed as one. Normally, Levy’s heart would have raced with thrill in the anticipation of new books, but right now she only had eyes for Gajeel. And the attention seemed to be reciprocated as his eyes were on her. His rough features were softened by the grin he gave her.

Oh, how she loved him. There was really no point in denying it. Besides, what had just happened was anything if not a sign. Why bother with uncertainty? She was going to tell him, tell him she loved him.

However, someone suddenly came running from downstairs, clearly distressed. The woman, visibly an employee, panted, took a deep breath and yelled the news she was carrying, “THE ICE SCULPTURES MUSEUM IS UNDER ATTACK!”

It took only a second for the news to sink in. _Gray!_ She thought, the panic making the magic of the moment dissipate in an instant. Levy looked at Gajeel, who seemed as alarmed as her. In a silent agreement, they rushed towards the exit, both running to aid theirs friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I’m not being very modest since I wrote it, but I really liked the trope thing :') it made my heart flutter x3 And you, if you’re not too shy, what did you prefer in this chapter? :3   
> Next chapter is all Gruvia and I’m really looking forward to it, bcs it will be the first true dive into this ship’s emotional baggage! Most people seem here for Gajevy, but I hope you’ll all like Chapter 8 as well~  
> However, I do have a little surprise planned. It might have seemed like I took my sweet time writing Chapter 7 (which is kind of true). But! Since my inspiration is like a bee and likes to travel elsewhere, I wrote simultaneously a Gajevy one-shot. Spending this extra inspiration, I finally got my groove back for Your Crush is My Love Rival, but stay tune for a story titled “Excuse My French, but WTF” ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hey readers, long time no see! Yeah, I came back from the dead (aka three-month long radio silence) :’) Didn’t do a lot of writing during this crazy-ass semester (if I didn’t love my program so much I would have totally lost it)^^’ Hope everyone wasn’t too overwhelmed with school or work and is doing well in this beginning of 2021~  
> I finally offer you Chapter 8! Took quite a while though, I must admit. I realized that as much as I love Gray and Juvia, I didn’t really understand Gruvia even though I shipped them. Not overanalyzing them like I did with my OTP (Gajevy), I didn’t know how to give them proper character developments. And I could not not give them personal growth like Gajeel and Levy. So, cathelerein explained me the ship (as it is her OTP) through their interactions and reactions to each other’s attics! We even made a kind of timeline of their feelings to help me x) Now, I totally get them and love these two even more :3  
> Well, at least, here is our take on Gruvia and their love in this chonker of a chapter (8953 words, 14 pages)(sorry, couldn’t be split)!  
> Hope it will make up for the wait^^ Enjoy~

Chapter 8: The Ice Prince and the Water Witch

Under the darkening sky, Juvia walked in light steps, quite pleased with herself. Despite Gajeel’s brush-off, the Water mage knew that he was going through an emotional growth regarding his true feelings. As a Love Ally, she rejoiced in the thought of his future date almost as much as the prospect of her own. She could almost picture it; Gajeel would try to play it cool with his gruff attitude but would grow soft as soon as he’ll see the petite bookworm read.

Juvia knew the drill; it didn’t take more than five minutes for Gajeel to walk up to her, either to talk or most likely to tease. Ten minutes and thirty-two seconds had been the maximum he achieved, and it was only because she had made the remark to him about how often Gajeel and Levy were together. Even his ridiculous male ego hadn’t succeeded in keeping him away from her. Juvia wasn’t complaining; she found it quite endearing.

It was on Tenrou Island that she had noticed the first spark. Without wanting to build too much hope, she had wished that her friend would soon know the joys of love. It was a hope she had for him ever since she discovered these joys with Gray-sama. In Phantom Lord, despite their friendship, Gajeel had always been awfully alone. He always said he liked it better that way, but Juvia knew better. Solitude drained the heart.

He seemed way happier now, which overjoyed her. He did deserve more love in his life, and she was glad Levy could bring him that. And not only because it would mean the bluenette would stay away from her beloved Gray. She would be happy for them. Genuinely happy.

Juvia wondered if Gajeel would finally tell Levy that he loved her. Had he listened carefully to her exposé about maiden’s pure hearts and how to swoon them? She hoped so. It would help him in case of doubt.

She abruptly stopped on her tracks, punctuated by a loud gasp that startled a passerby. Had she forgotten to tell him he needed to change his approach strategy?! Tease Levy wouldn’t do it this time, if Gajeel hoped to achieve real progress with her! Juvia bit her nails, racking her brain, trying to remember. Had she failed as Love Ally? She sighed in defeat. She would have to trust Gajeel’s own judgment not to mess up. He might be a Love Newbie, but she believed in him.

After all, his love would surely make him think of romantic gestures. Hadn’t love proven to be stronger than anything? It would overcome Gajeel’s typical gruff attitude and show his true feelings. And then a new couple would be formed! So long, Love Rival #7. Then, she’d only have to deal with Lucy, Erza, Wendy, Cana, Ultear and Lyon.

She let out a miffed sigh. As much as she understood why Gray was so popular (after all, he was the dreamiest of them all), it still annoyed her, having to deal with so many rivals. Some of them seemed to have some advantages over her, such as shared childhood memory. She even heard an appalling rumor saying he once took a bath with a girl. Even if he were a kid at the time, her mind couldn’t help but see it as an unforgivable lead from one of her Love Rivals. Had someone already stolen Gray-sama’s heart? Was she too late? She shook her head, wanting to chase those unpleasant thoughts, solely focusing on her beloved Gray. She needed to see him to soothe her mind.

Focusing on her surrounding to get to him more quickly, she looked around. Couples were walking holding hands, enjoying the evening in pairs. A man even had his boyfriend partly wrapped in his jacket to protect him from the cold. The sight warm Juvia’s heart. She couldn’t wait for Gray-sama to do such sweet attentions to her.

Though she hoped, she knew for a fact that it wouldn’t be anytime soon. Still, it made her wonder. Why hadn’t Gray-sama reacted to her advances? Not that she minded, but the status quo between them confused her at times. Her feelings for him were quite clear, but his answers never were. Her hope still lived on as he never gave her a flat “no”. The Ice Mage might seemed cold to some people, but Juvia knew that there was more to it. Something was holding him back.

She wouldn’t pry though. As curious as she was, she respected his boundaries. However, sometimes she couldn’t help but hope for an answer. Any answer…

Instinctively, she brought her hand to her winter hat, lightly brushing the yellow flower brooch. It had been a Christmas gift from Gray-sama, although no one knew it was from him. She remembered the day quite vividly.

***** 

The guild had thrown a huge party for Christmas, and Mirajane had organised their traditional Secret Santa event. She had drawn out of the hat Cana’s name. Of course, Juvia had never considered _not_ giving a gift to her beloved Gray no matter the drawing results, and so she had prepared two gifts for the party.

For Cana, she had sewn a body pillow, in the shape of a bottle of beer, which made the Magic Card Mage grin happily and say something along the line of how she had even less reasons to have a boyfriend since she would be more comfortable with her new pillow.

For Gray, she had sewn him a long dark overcoat, with white outline, a style she figured would underline his strong build and his natural coolness. She had waited for the short moment between the gift exchange, and the many other activities and games that Mira had planned, judging it to be the perfect time to give it to him.

As expected, Gray didn’t want to accept it at first, saying the rule said a gift per person. It was a tradition to only do as such in order to not bankrupt anyone by having to buy gifts to everyone in the guild, a feat above anyone’s paygrade. However, Juvia didn’t let it go, as she was sure it would still make him happy. Gray then sighed but accepted it.

As he teared the happily smiling snowmen themed wrapping, Juvia saw his eyes widened with a faint spark of amazement. When he held the overcoat in front of him, examining it, her heart leaped in happiness. His contentment was short-lived when Erza and Cana started to chant for him to do a fashion show. Red in embarrassment and anger, he refused adamantly until both Erza and Mira’s dark auras made him comply.

Juvia’s happiness was complete when she saw how handsome he looked in her gift, and despite his bashfulness, he seemed quite pleased with his new piece of clothing. She could tell by the ghost of a smile on his lips when their eyes briefly met.

The rest of the evening went just as well, people drinking and dancing after the series of mini games they had. As people began to fall from exhaustion, Juvia looked around and noticed that most girls were also already sleeping on the floor. Being the only one standing still from Fairy Hill, she decided to head home by herself.

She hadn’t taken more than three steps outside that a voice had called her name. _His_ voice. Averting her eyes, his cheeks slightly red, he had said in a low voice, “At this hour, there’s a lot of weird people outside… So...” He scratched the back of his head and instead of finishing his sentence, he started walking towards Fairy Hills, only pausing to make sure she followed.

Overwhelmed with happiness, she hadn’t minded his roundabout way of telling her he would walk her home. They had walked in silence, admiring the beauty of the snowflakes falling on this peaceful night.

They had stood outside Fairy Hills in silence for a few seconds, allowing Juvia to admire Gray-sama’s profile as he watched the sky. Having thought it was the conclusion of his gentleman-like attention, she had wished him once more “Merry Christmas” and “Good night”. As she had turned away to open the door, she heard him clear his throat. Curious, she had turned back to him, wondering if everything was alright, and had seen him hold a small white box with a red ribbon.

“Figured you’d give me something… So, here,” Gray had said, nonchalantly, but still averting his eyes.

Juvia had felt like the whole universe had lighten up. Feeling a cozy warmth spread through her body, she had taken the gift between her hands, her vision tunneling to this sole thing. She had taken off the lid to see a beautiful yellow brooch, the flower shape highlighted by embedded gems with a darker yellow shade.

*****

A light blush colored her cheeks. He did care for her, but he was shy with his emotions. It wouldn’t damper her own feelings. Juvia was a patient woman. She could wait for him. However, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t try to help him understand and face his feelings.

She looked up to read the street name to situate herself in the city. Currently at the intersection of General Winter Street and Boreal Avenue, she knew that the museum was only a few streets away. She had checked a map of the city while in the hotel and had memorized it, paying more attention to the romantic locations pinned down for unaware tourists, the Ice-Sculpture Museum being the one that caught her eyes for obvious reasons.

The Water Mage quickened her pace and finally reached the famous attraction. The Museum was an impressive structure, its white stone giving it the appearance of a construction made of snow. It was an artwork of its own right. Juvia could have stay there to admire it longer if she hadn’t seen the silhouette of Gray-sama inside. Her heart flustered. He looked so cool and mature with his hands in his pockets and his coat loosely flying as he disappeared inside. His appearance was as sharp as his jawline, Juvia sighed in awe.

Emerging from her daydream, she hurried towards the entrance, hoping she wasn’t too far behind. She pushed eagerly through the revolving door, just in time to see Gray entering the first exhibition room as coolly as ever. Juvia went to the counter and asked politely but earnestly one ticket. She had already her Jewels in hand to pay, but the woman had another question before charging her.

“Would you like the audioguide?” the kind lady asked. “It really brings the whole romantic side of the exhibition.”

Normally, nothing would stray her from Gray-sama, but the word “romantic” echoed in her mind alongside her hope for a date.

“The romantic side?” Juvia tilted her head, now interested.

The cashier nodded, an engaging smile on her lips. “Yeah. Each statue has a different story. Some come from legends, others from real life. But, they’re all beautiful, in my opinion. Especially “The Ice Prince and the Water Witch”, a story from our local folklore. With the Fire Princess and the Water Sorceress. A story of love, jealousy and passion.”

Juvia’s attention had been lost after the mention of the Ice Prince as her imagination had already reign in, visualizing an image of Gray in a prince attire.

“Juvia will take one, please!” she exclaimed, already ready to hand her Jewels to the startled cashier.

“Ah, I should have mentioned first,” the woman smiled, a little apologetically. “But it’s an extra of…”

Before the woman could finish her sentence, the Water Mage had already more Jewels in hand. Bringing them closer to the cashier, as if to insist that she’d take it, she said, “Juvia doesn’t mind. At all.”

The cashier had a nervous laugh (maybe intimated by so much enthusiasm) and slid both the ticket and the audio guide through the slot.

“Thank you! No need for the change!” Juvia waved energetically, already bolting to the last place she saw Gray. She barely heard the “O-okay, have a nice visit…” from the cashier. After all, she was a woman on a mission, she tried to remind herself.

Hurrying up the flight of stairs, the thought of her mission flew out of the window as soon as she laid eyes on the first exhibition room. The dark blue walls stood tall and mighty, giving the impression to be inside a castle rather than a museum. Placed in a way that no statue hid another, they shone with a faint glow, the ice reflecting the chandeliers’ light. Knights, princesses, creatures of legends and little people posed with a transcendent grace. They look so realistic, that it seemed they were real beings froze in the middle of their motion. Even from afar , Juvia could see how detailed the statues were, how much work went into them. They were absolutely breathtaking. True artwork, unlike she has ever seen. The delicacy and the elegance of the ice shown to its most polished way. A beauty that brought tears to her eyes.

Juvia walked towards a first one, mesmerized by a beautiful woman holding a flower to her nose, seemingly at peace. Her eyes lingered on the intricate embroidery on her dress. The lines were so sharp yet so detailed, a talent she only saw in Gray’s Ice Make. She had no doubt her beloved would be able to replicate such complex designs. At the thought of him, her head snapped up. Where was Gray-sama? She only lost sight of him for a few seconds and he was already gone.

The Water mage walked steadfastly towards the second room where surely Gray had gone. However, her motion was brought to a stop when her attention got caught by the sight of an ice sculpture that look like her beloved Gray. Wearing a lavish outfit and sitting on a throne, she suspected the statue to represent the Ice Prince the cashier had mentioned. He had the same unkempt hair and sharp features. The figure even held the same kind of melancholy she could see in the Ice Mage’s eyes sometimes. She gawked for what seemed like a few seconds when someone cleared their throat to call her attention. Startled, she turned her head to meet the eyes of an elderly couple.

“I’m sorry, my dear,” the old man gently said, bundle up with hand knitted layers of clothing, surely made by his wife. “Could you manage to give us a little spot in front of the statue? We have reached this part of the story and my wife can’t see properly if she’s not close… If you don’t mind.”

The elderly couple looked at her with kind eyes and soft smiles. The man stood taller and the old lady was holding onto his arm, her other hand on her cane. The query made her realize she had been inconsiderate of people around her, of which she quickly apologized. “Juvia is so sorry! She didn’t realize! Please, do take her place!”

“No need, dear,” intervened his wife. “We can all look at it together. Aren’t you still listening this part of the story?”

“The story? Oh, no, Juvia was just looking…”

“Oh, but sweetie!” She protested. “You can’t miss out on the narrative! You can’t start the story in the middle~” She gently scolded her, punctuated with a playful wink. 

Juvia tilted her head, confused. The old man caught on and explained, “There’s an order to the story. The first statue is that one over there. You simply follow as the audio guide tells you. As locals, we highly recommend it; the Ice Prince story is beautiful.”

Hearing the praise of this story for a second time, her desire of looking for Gray-sama was (for a first time) outweighed by her curiosity. It would have been normally impossible, but the legend included an Ice Prince who looked awfully like her beloved. Besides, Gray-sama was on a mission and had to stay in the museum. She’ll be able to catch up with him when she’d be done.

“Then, Juvia shall follow your advice and listen to it properly. Here, take her place.”

With a gesture, she invited them to stand where she was. As they moved slowly, she noticed a movable bench to her right, where they most probably were beforehand. Juvia quickly went to retrieve it and then placed it behind the couple for them to sit.

“Thank you, sweetie,” the old woman smiled. To which the old man, added, “You are most kind. The person who is in your heart is very lucky.”

Juvia smiled shyly, her mind flickering back to Gray-sama. She bowed her head slightly to bid them farewell.

“Thank you both! Juvia will let you enjoy the rest of your date! Goodbye~”

They both waved. The old man handed an earbud to his wife, sharing a single audio guide. The sight made her heart melt. Growing old together seemed to be such a wonderful thing. Sharing their lives for so long, they must have so many happy memories together. With a happy sigh, she skipped to the statue the couple had pointed as the beginning of the tour. It was the same character, the melancholic Prince, but on this installment, he was standing on what seemed to be a balcony, his eyes casted down, surely to portray the loneliness of royalty and the distance he felt from his people.

She looked at the small inscription at the bottom and then she inserted the number written on the bottom part in the tape guide. A deep yet soothing voice started narrating the story titled “The Ice Prince and the Water Witch”.

**Long ago, when magic was still but a seed yet to bloom lived a young Prince with a cold demeanor but a warm heart. He reigned with kindness, as life had taken a lot from him and taught him to never take happiness for granted.**

After that last word, a bell sound rang, the cue indicating to move to the next statue. In the midst of pine trees stood a scary figure, of a woman with diabolical features. Half hidden, her stance was clearly predatory, a threat. With this statue, the emphasis was more on the atmosphere than the character.

**One day, rumors came to his kingdom in which was said that in the Medio Forest a Witch turned people into puddles of water. The Prince then volunteered to put an end himself to this terror, fearing for his people’s wellbeing and for the peace.**

The third statue was one that played with perspective, the prince closer to the viewer, both observing a pretty woman with a somewhat rustic apparel, sitting near a cascade. 

**After many days of travel, the Prince finally found the Witch near a waterfall. Readying his sword, he heard a melodic voice, asking him to not come closer for his own good. His curiosity piqued, he asked what she meant. She explained that she was cursed as a child with the magic of water and that anyone who meets her gaze turn into water, forcing her at the same time to be alone forever.**

The next statue was the woman, the rumored evil witch, her back turned and her face hidden between her hands. Her posture showed a clear desire to protect the Prince from her curse, though he stood besides her, his hand extended to reach for her.

**Her story had touched the Prince. Seeing no ill intention in her, he felt the need to help her. Turning the problem in his head, the Prince came up with an idea to bypass her curse. For her to have a normal life, he risked it all when he looked through the ice cap. The Witch tried to stop him, fearing for the life of the first person who cared for her. What wasn’t her surprise when she saw he was alright. As the two young people looked at each other, something changed. Hope took a hold on the Witch’s heart. Hope and a love for him that wouldn’t cease to grow the more time she spent with him.**

The bell rang once more and Juvia moved to the statue where both characters stood in what seemed a town, the witch now wearing a pair of glasses.

**The Prince invited her to come with him and live in his kingdom, since, after all, the Witch was now freed from her solitude. As soon as they arrived, he ordered a pair of protective glasses for her, so she would see but not turn people into puddles. At first, people were wary, but soon they quickly stopped to fear her. Although she grew closer with people, the Witch felt displeased as she had to share the Prince with others.**

Now, the statue had a third figure, a princess which beauty was mesmerizing. The prince was turned towards this new character while the witch had her back turned but her face angled in a way that she was still watching. Her expression was twisted, unlike her happier demeanor on the previous one. Juvia felt a twinge of compassion for her.

**Meanwhile, having heard of the heroic feat the Prince did, the neighboring kingdom offered to form an alliance to strengthen both kingdoms. The Prince agreed, foreshadowing an era of peace. However, what had begun as a purely political agreement bloomed into something more when he met the Princess. She had a beauty that could rival the stars and a bright personality that could overshadowed the warmth of the sun. Love blessed their encounter, and an engagement naturally followed.**

**The Witch was mortified by the news and wanted to put a stop to it. No matter her schemes, the incidents only brought the young couple closer. The date of their marriage was just around the corner and the Witch felt the Prince slip away from her.**

Unable to take off her eyes of the statues and totally absorbed by the narration, Juvia felt her heart tightened and her eyes burn with forming tears. The last sentence was hitting too close from home, but she couldn’t bring herself to stop listening.

**Her jealousy reaching a peak, she planned to get rid of her rival once and for all. Her love had become obsession and so the thought of having him taken away from her was unbearable. When the door opened, expecting his fiancé, her cursed eyes met the Prince’s. In shock, her mind barely had time to grasp the amplitude of her mistake that he was already fading away, becoming water.**

As her eyes went to the next statue, Juvia felt her knees weakened when she saw the distress on the Witch’s face as the Prince slowly dissolving into water, lost forever. The Water Mage could feel the woman’s grief, her heartache as it was her own. The similarities with herself were simply too much and the climax, this tragedy, scared her as if she was the cause.

**The pain, the guilt drove her mad and so she jumped out of the window into the ocean, becoming one with the thing that poisoned her life. Water, when hurled by a storm, by jealousy, becomes unpredictable and cruel.**

Juvia let her tears run down freely, overwhelmed. She had to rationalize. It wasn’t Gray-sama. It wasn’t her. She repeated it like a mantra. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling of dread she felt. There were many parallels she could draw from her own life.

When meeting her love, Juvia, too, was first bemused by his prince appearance, his handsomeness, his coolness. Just like the Witch, she had been grateful and relieved beyond words that her rain was gone, the sun brightening the sky thanks to him. Just like the Witch, it was the first reason why she liked Gray-sama. On top of being beautiful, he was kind, even to his enemy, a quality she saw oh so rarely. Among her previous guild, niceties always hid intentions, hope of repayment. So, when she met Gray, it was a shock, but also a blessing. Someone who didn’t know her, from whom her (ex) guild had done harm, helped her, out of the goodness of his heart. Thanks to his kindness, she felt hope that people could simply be kind. That people could like her despite her quirks. That people like her deserved second chances.

From the outside eye, her love at first sight might seem superficial or a silly reason to like someone so much, but to a romantic like Juvia, Gray was an ideal she could only dream of. Both handsome and good, it was enough to make her fall in love. In the wake of Phantom Lord disbandment, a new beginning presented itself when Master Makarov reached out to her. Not only would it allow her to be close to the person whom she now hold dear to her heart, but the old mage gave her the opportunity to walk a better path.

As soon as she joined Fairy Tail, she looked for ways to repay the Ice mage’s kindness. In the form of gifts and of attentions, she showered him with her love. Unable to contain the affection she felt, Juvia might have gone overboard with social norms, but her heart had so many emotions to live. Most of her ex-boyfriends fretted at her enthusiasm and her romanticism which led them to either run away from her or push her away. Although Gray-sama was frequently (not to say, always) embarrassed by her eagerness, he never made her feel bad about it. His kindness overshadowed his bashfulness. Eventually, she managed to understand and to deal with his embarrassment as she got to know him. 

Her resolve to show her gratitude by making him happy was solidified when she noticed a sadness in the depth of his dark eyes. She realized that just like Juvia, he carried a weight, a sorrow hidden behind his detached demeanor. Maybe, a fear of getting hurt? Being very aware of such pain leaving scars best left untouched, the Water Mage didn’t pry. She knew everyone healed differently. All Juvia could do was to be there for him. For this secret pain of his, she would be there to bring joy in his life and maybe comfort him, if he ever needed. Some people dealt with their trauma by internalizing it to learn to live with the scars. Not all pain faded away no matter how much time passed by. Juvia knew it too well.

However, her life was better now, a huge part of which was thanks to Gray-sama. She wanted to bring him the same peace and happiness he gave her. Once again, just like the Witch, she wanted to be his special someone, to have a special place in his heart. The smiles he gave that were not meant for her scorched her soul. Her ever growing feelings for him inadvertently ignited something in her, something like selfishness, something that she never allowed before. Although she knew she couldn’t possibly be the one girl in his life, the only one to whom he looked and smiled, she couldn’t help but wished to have all his love and attention.

But now, seeing the tragic end that happened to someone who was driven by envy and jealousy, it scared her. Wasn’t she too jealous sometimes? Was she driven Gray-sama away with her passion? She fidgeted with the headphone’s wire. Her thoughts brought her to Lucy and now Levy. It stirred something in her. The seed of envy and jealousy was still there. Could it bring the same destruction as in the story? No. Juvia would never hurt Gray-sama. However, she feared it could taint their relationship.

As much as she sometimes noticed that her jealousy was flaring unreasonably, she never seriously looked into the matter. Out of fear, she ignored it, but if she allowed herself to be honest, she knew what caused her jealousy. It was her past scars. They itched when a girl got too close to Gray-sama. It flashed memories of loneliness, of every time she got rejected. The fear of not being accepted and loved for who she was never faded away. The thought of his rejection ached her heart more than any of these past deceptions. When the dark part of her mind was especially wicked, all she could see was Gray-sama’s back, as he walked away from her, leaving her to her solitude.

Under her optimism laid quiet insecurities. She never paid much attention to them, but they were there. On the days where Gray seemed overly embarrassed or worst annoyed, Juvia couldn’t hold them back. She was aware that she could come too strong on people, but that was simply how she was. There was no way she could change herself to her core. The clouds would gather, and she would spiral down, trying to find what she did wrong.

The girls would try to cheer her up, putting in perspective the incident. Gray, despite his stripping habits, was easily embarrassed and there was nothing that could be done about it. One time, during a Fairy Hill sleepover, one of the girls even suggested to move on, saying that a girl as enthusiastic and lively as Juvia would be happier with someone not as taciturn and close-off as Gray. Beyond the belief that it was a ploy orchestrated by a Love Rival, the Water mage explained that it was in fact because of their differences that Gray and her would make sense. They balanced each other. The turmoil and passion that lived inside her was soothed by Gray’s proximity. He also continued to inspire her to never give up and work hard to make the world a better and safer place for her loved ones.

Where some people judged Gray to be a bit paradoxical (stripping versus easily embarrassed), Juvia saw a fascinating complexity to his character. Behind the discouraged smile he had when he watched his friends goofing around, laid the affection he had for his foster family. Behind the detachment in which he partook dangerous missions, laid a fierce desire to protect the weak. Behind his stripping habits, laid ~~his abs~~ , erm, a past that shaped who he was now.

Getting to know him, Juvia discovered more reasons to love him. But, maybe along her love, she let her jealousy grow just as much. Now, seeing what it could bring to someone, even though it was a legend, a story, made her put some things into perspective. All she wanted for Gray was for him to be happy. If her love, as true as it was, put that into jeopardy, what was the point?

Juvia clenched her fists. She would never hurt him. She wouldn’t allow it. No matter the degree, she wouldn’t. She had to learn to control her dark thoughts. She had to. It would be a long and tedious road, but for him, she could do it. As painful as it would be to see him with someone else, it wouldn’t be as unbearable as being the cause of his misery. Her heart grew heavy, but her mind was clear. The most important for her was for Gray to simply be happy because he deserved it and much more. For that, even her heartbreak would be worth it. This resolution wasn’t her giving up on Gray. It was the will to make this love truer. Jealousy couldn’t bring anything good as it was a negative emotion. To overcome it, she’d have to face her hidden insecurities head-on and vanquish her envy. It wasn’t as if others could steal away the moments she had with Gray nor the connection she felt they had.

Although Juvia was made of water, she wouldn’t let herself be like the sea under a storm, uncontrollable and cruel. She was stronger. Her negative emotions wouldn’t get the best of her. They wouldn’t poison her relationships.

She looked at the statues once more. These people made of ice, frozen in their story forever, had taught her a valuable lesson. On her hand clenched over her heart, she felt a drop fell on it. Surprised, she realized she had been crying. With her index, she caught the tear forming on the corner of her eye. She looked at it, remembering the nights when she would silently cry, wondering if people would ever like her despite her rain. Her tears were the only reminiscence of her rain. Without consciously naming it that, her powers had felt like a curse. Seeing it as such, she let it reign over her life. Now, she could see it made her who she was. A girl who lived passionately to make up for the lack of sun in her life and who never took anything for granted.

However, she couldn’t get greedy and want all the sunshine for herself. She had to… share her beloved Gray to some extent. After all, friendships were also important. It would tear her heart if she had to give up her friendship with Gajeel for Gray-sama’s love. Her reason knew that, but her emotions had a hard time to follow through. Maybe, somewhere else in the museum, there was a story, a moral that could guide her on how to fight the jealousy, this enemy within.

Having found a noble purpose, one that would help her secure Gray-sama’s happiness, she walked with determination through the second room. Observing carefully the statues and the inscriptions below to see which one would best fit her predication, she settled for the sculpture of a demoness who wanted to be human. Her expression of distress appealed to Juvia, as the sculptor presented the scene in which she acquired a human heart and felt overwhelmed by the emotional range. The Water mage eagerly entered the statue’s number to hear how the demoness overcame the novelty of feelings.

As the deep and soothing voice narrated the legend, Juvia became less and less aware of her surroundings, being totally immersed in the story, feeling what the protagonist was feeling. She hadn’t heard the footsteps of someone approaching. She didn’t feel their presence as they abruptly stopped near her. However, she couldn’t ignore the sound of her name.

“Juvia?”

She tore her eyes away from the statue and turned to where the voice came. Gray-sama was standing there, seemingly dumbfound. His obvious surprise didn’t remind her that until now, she had been following him incognito, and that there was no logical explanation to why she was in the same museum as him, miles away from Magnolia.

“Gray-sama, you _have to_ listen to this,” Juvia promptly said with the delight of a fangirl.

As she said that, she grabbed his arm to bring him closer. She then took off her left earbud and gently placed it on Gray-sama’s ear.

“Juvia will rewind to the beginning, so you can enjoy it as much as her,” she beamed, happily, barely noticing the redness of his ear. She pressed the button, and the narrator started the story once more. The girl then turned towards the sculpture; the improbability of the situation completely forgotten in the mist of her current bliss.

* * *

Gray was puzzled. Several things made no sense, but oddly enough they also made sense. Juvia was here. As improbable as it was, it didn’t surprise him that much since she was always somewhere in his vicinity. It kind of became a constant in his life. So, no, it wasn’t her presence that surprised him the most, but rather the fact that he was the one who spotted her first instead of the other way around.

Normally, Juvia would instantly flock to wherever he was. Yet, this time, he was the one who went to her. Otherwise, she might not have seen him, oddly enough, as she was happily listening to an audio guide in the same museum as he was, not paying much attention to him. Or not as much as usual. Not that Gray wanted to be hug-tackle, but the contrast unsettled him. Was she alright?

He glanced to Juvia. Her eyes sparked as she looked at the statue in front of them, hanging on the narrator’s every word.

She looked more than alright. She looked happy. And beautiful.

His brain threw that last word unexpectedly, making him realize he had stared. Abashed, he turned his head, pulling the earphone. Quickly, he put his hand against his ear to prevent the earbud from falling. He risked another glance and saw that Juvia was now looking at him, worried.

“Are you okay, Gray-sama? Is the story making you uncomfortable? We can change if you…”

“No,” Gray cut her off. “It’s nothing. My ear itched, that’s all.”

She accepted his lame excuse with a smile and turned once more towards the statue, giving it back her attention. Gray couldn’t understand why he was so on edge. He should enjoy the calmness that surrounded Juvia, a rare but welcome sight. He should be happy to see her so calm and not being all over him. Then, why was he so agitated? He had absolutely no reason to be. Trying to not give too much thought to this detail, he decided to focus on the story.

As he listened how the demoness had overcome the hardships life had thrown at her, he had to admit that the audio guide was a nice addition to the visit. Juvia sighed, contented with the ending. She looked at him, expectedly.

“Now, it’s your turn to choose a statue, Gray-sama,” Juvia said.

Although he had waited to ask her why she was here, the sparks of happiness in her eyes stopped him. Clearly, she was having a blast and questioning her now would break the mood. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t ask her after the visit. Even though he was the one who find her first, she would most likely stick by his side. They had time. He could ask later.

He thought about her question, but he didn’t really care which statue they went to next. However, he knew that Juvia was asking him because she didn’t like choosing everything as she didn’t want to impose her desires onto others. Without looking nor thinking, he pointed a general direction behind him. “That one.”

Juvia looked past him. Her expression shifted from happy to confuse. She turned to him and asked, “Are you sure, Gray-sama? Doesn’t this type of display usually embarrass you?”

Not having the faintest clue what she meant, he turned around to look at the statue he had randomly pointed. He followed her gaze which fell on a statue of four naked people sensually flirting with each other, a scene clearly depicting an orgy-like tale. Instantly, Gray felt his face heated with embarrassment. He felt like an idiot. Of course, he had to point the one explicit statue in the room. Fearing Juvia would extrapolate on his choice, he wanted to set things straight, but she beat him to it.

“Oh, did you mean the other one?” Juvia asked.

This time, the Ice Mage looked at the statue to not make the same mistake twice. She was now pointing to the statue of a knight in prayer. The light reflecting in the ice made his armor shine, something that would catch anyone’s eye.

“Yeah,” he said.

Juvia clasped her hands, amazed by its poise. “Excellent choice! It makes more sense that Gray-sama would choose a war tale! Juvia apologizes for her silly mistake.”

She walked cheerfully and Gray couldn’t help but stare at her in disbelief. It was confusing how often Juvia threw him off. She would say the most embarrassing things so naturally, like expressing her love, and would see nothing abnormal with it. Yet, on anything other than her demonstrations of love, she would make sure that he felt at ease. She would be oblivious to his discouragement, but never to his embarrassment. Juvia was…thoughtful. It surprised him that he only noticed now. Was he oblivious himself? No… He knew, but only now did it really hit him.

Seeing he wasn’t following her, she gestured him to hurry up by her side, waiting for him to start the audio guide. He sighed through his half-smile. She handed him the earbud and once he put it in his ear, the soothing narrator’s voice started telling the story of the statue before them.

Gray knew that he should wonder more about how and why Juvia was there, but she always was nearby, somehow. A year prior, it might have startled him, but her intensity gradually became something normal to him. Sure, her passionate demonstrations of love still triggered his embarrassment, but Juvia was simply an enthusiastic and romantic person. They were her quirks, and Gray, having grown with intense and quirky people in Fairy Tail, adapted somewhat quickly to weirdness. Well, except of course when the embarrassing attention was directed toward him.

But he knew that, at first, he misjudged her; however, not about her character. He knew since day one that she wasn’t a bad person and that she simply was unlucky to have affiliated with the wrong crowd. Rather, he misjudged her “feelings” for him. He didn’t see them as fake, simply as ephemeral, bound to fade with time.

Not only did Gray consider himself as someone rational and practical, but he knew by experience that attraction was a fleeting thing. Or so he thought. Not to be presumptuous, but Gray was somewhat used to attract girls. He knew that his features and his build made him handsome and appealing. During his school days, he would always find letters from random girls in his locker and he would have to deal with the mess that was Valentine’s Day. Although it bothered and embarrass him, he tried to politely decline.

As someone who didn’t give too much thought on superficial matters such as his appearance, he figured he was handsome because girls (and sometimes guys) often looked back when he walked back (well, even when he wasn’t inadvertently stripping) and would ask him out.

As soon as they got to know him, girls would grow disinterested. Some would say that his personality was too detached, others would complain he was always too busy and never made time for dates or whatever. Eventually, they drifted away, and it didn’t really bother or hurt him at all. Anyway, these people always complained about not being prioritized enough, as if they couldn’t bare their own company for more than two minutes. Such people were not a good match for him. He liked his alone time and he had bills to pay. Obviously, he would prioritize his work over a date, and anyone who would get mad because of that didn’t deserve his time.

So, when Juvia expressed her affection for him at first, he didn’t take it seriously. Like all the others, she would grow bored of him or get mad at him or even both. He relied on time to prove him right, thinking how his embarrassment would be short-lived as soon as she’d get to know him.

Weeks and then months passed by and her eagerness hadn’t decreased. It had in fact increased. Not that he thought too long about it, but it surprised him that she still expressed her affection. They had spent time together, long enough for her to realize by then that he wasn’t as extraordinary as she gave him credit for. Someone as lively and intense as Juvia should naturally gravitate towards passionate people…no? There was no way she could enjoy the silence of his company.

Yet, whenever it was only the two of them, he felt relaxed, at ease. Her usual energetic self was peaceful when they spent time without the others. It was a side of Juvia he hadn’t expected and that he enjoyed. Unlike what one might think, Juvia wasn’t afraid of the silence. The two of them could just be, side by side, in silence and neither would feel uneasy. Even when he felt down, she wouldn’t pry. Somehow, she would know that he’d prefer not to talk about it and simply comfort him with her presence. She could read his mood unlike any other, making him feel like they have known each other for decades rather than only a year and a half. Which was strange for him, since he had trouble as a kid, but also now to allow people to come close to him, not wanting to get attached. Yet, he didn’t even feel the need to push her away, although he still did that with new people. Maybe, it was because she never forced him to “move on” from his past, as the others had so often tried. She simply let him live his emotions in peace.

As for her sadness, although it bothered him that he was the cause more often than not, he knew that going to see her was enough to chase her melancholy or anguish. Not to say that Juvia was simple as a person, but he somehow understood her better than other girls or people in general. She wore her heart on a sleeve, or at least that was how it seemed to him. She never hid her emotions, which saved Gray the pain of guessing the reason behind her actions or reactions. He simply understood because Juvia was always true to herself, a quality that was rare nowadays.

Speaking of which, a loud sob caught his attention. Gray then realized he hadn’t pay attention at all to the story. Juvia, on the other hand, was crying profusely, babbling through her hiccups. “I-it was sooo * **hiccup** * b-beautiful! H-he d-did all this for his loved ones even if t-they exiled h-him…”

A tear rolled on her cheek. Instinctively, Gray tapped his pockets, looking for a tissue. Finding one in his coat’s inside pocket, he handed it to her.

“Thank you, Gray-sama,” she smiled, fondly. She then folded the tissue, pulled her fur-lined collar of her cropped cape and slipped it in her bra. From it, she pulled her own pale-pink tissue on which was embroidered a red heart. She turned slightly and blew her nose.

“What the- I just gave you one. Why use your own?” Gray asked, baffled. Clearly, she had sewn her own but why get it dirty when he gave her one that was disposable? Despite having thought seconds ago about how he knew Juvia, some of her reactions still threw him off.

“Juvia can’t soil a gift Gray-sama had made her.”

“It’s just a tissue.”

The Water mage shook her head, looking down and smiling. “It’s still a nice gesture and Juvia wants to keep it. Anything she can get, she will treasure.”

It was an innocent sentence with no ill undertone, but it felt like a hit in the guts. Did he give back so little that she would even treasure something so insignificant as a tissue he gave her? Has he only ever given her the flower brooch? Or did he really give her nothing else in their year and a half of knowing each other? Although he never understood why she went out of her way to make him gifts for the silliest reasons, such as their “413th day anniversary”, he must have shown her his gratitude in some way. Hasn’t he? He racked his brain and yet couldn’t find anything. Nothing to thank her for her embarrassing Gray/Juvia breads or the scarf or even simply for being a good friend.

Gray frowned. Why did it bother him so much to think that? Never before had he thought that maybe he didn’t do enough for a friendship. He was there for his friends in the good times as much as in the bad ones and for him, it seemed enough. Why wasn’t it the case with Juvia? What was different? Was he somehow affected by her intensity? No, that wasn’t it. Then, why?

Juvia broke the silence that had taken place without him noticing. A dreamy look in her eyes, she was still staring at the statue before them, as she said, “It must be wonderful to be able to create such beauty with one’s own magic.” She then turned towards him and a soft smile grazed her lips. She added, quietly, “Juvia envies Gray-sama.”

His eyes flicked back to the statues. It was true that they were really something impressive. Still, couldn’t she see that her powers were just as amazing as that? He could still remember the sparks through the water spiral she casted to match his attacks when they did an Unison Raid, showing how complementary they were.

“Without water, there wouldn’t be ice,” Gray said, looking at her, unable to avert his eyes this time.

Her lips slightly parted, surprised evident in her widen eyes, she stared at him. Just when he felt his face growing red, he averted his eyes, not fast enough to miss the faint blush that also coloured her cheeks. 

“Gray-sama…” she called him, her voice full of emotions.

Juvia took a step forward and looked like she was about to say something. However, she was cut short by a loud crashing sound, followed by screams. It took less than a nano-second for Gray to react. He sprinted towards the commotion instinctively.

When he arrived in the first room, he saw a gaping hole where stood a 40 feet-tall monster. Pale blue, the beast could almost be camouflaged, assorted with the museum’s color scheme. However, his skin shone, like it was made of metal like a robot, but his overall appearance rather recalled one of a demon, kind of like the ones in the Grand Magic Games’ Pandemonium.

With one of his clawed hands, he hung from the roof, observing inside. He must have punched his way in, judging by the wreckage. A few statues had suffered damage, but luckily no visitor had been harmed. Still, it was no reason to stand idly by. Gray took a combat stand, ready to confront the monster. Suddenly, the Ice Mage felt an oppressive aura, one that sent all his senses into alert mode. The strange thing was that it wasn’t coming from the monster.

Juvia marched with deliberate slowness towards the monster. She wasn’t even in a combat stance but her whole being exude a sense of danger and threat. Gray could only see her profile. Her eyes were focused on the monster with a glare so cold and yet so deadly.

“Gray-sama,” she said, with so much seriousness it startled him.

He didn’t have time to answer, as she continued with this deadpanned tone so unlike the lively Juvia he was used to. “Please, look after the civilians while Juvia takes care of this _nuisance_.”

Had it been Natsu or anyone else, he would have strongly rebuffed a plan that left him in the sidelines. However, he didn’t feel the need to fight back. Her voice was not subject to appeal. He simply nodded. Even though her animosity wasn’t directed towards him, it still stupefied him. Her jealousy fits were nothing compared to that. Although he had met her as an enemy, never before had he seen Juvia so threatening. Gray almost felt safe to be assigned to “civilian” duty. Juvia looked beyond pissed, as if the attack was personal.

The blue-haired girl crouched, ready to jump into action. Invoking her Water Slicers, she shrieked, “How dare you not only destroy these works of art, but _interrupt Juvia’s date with Gray-sama_?!” She jumped high and struck several hits on the monster, who roared resentfully.

Ah. It was personal. Gray sighed, discouraged, and smiled. That monster stood zero chance. As to prove him right, Juvia’s attacks made the monster lose its balance. She continued to twirl middle-air, joining one attack to the other in rapid succession, leaving no time for the monster to counterattack. Gray rose an iced wall, creating a corridor for the visitors of farther rooms to exit the museum safely. He still kept an eye behind in case rumbles fell his way, ready to defend the civilians. Seeing an elderly couple, he ran to them and gave them extra assistance. When he finished escorting them outside, he came back to the room where Juvia was still fighting. Suddenly, a voice rose above the combat’s commotion.

“Put me down!!!”

Gray blinked, confused. Was it him or did he hear Levy’s voice? An iron poll came crashing into the monster’s face. Then, a tall and dark figure came into view, retracting their metal arm before the beast counterattacked. Signaling the visitors to run towards the exit while making sure no rubble fell on them, Gray tried to see who intervened. On their back was a small figure, hanging for their dear life. Someone with blue hair with a dash of orange if his eyes saw correctly.

“Oh my god, Gajeel!! Put me down before fighting!!!” Levy shrieked, as the Iron Dragon Slayer landed another hit. 

Juvia, a hand extended towards the monster, having it imprisoned in a water lock, shouted to the newcomer. “Gajeel-kun! Don’t butt in, this monster is Juvia’s! He ruined her date!”

From the ground, where he landed to let the petite bluenette of his back, Gajeel loudly replied, “Sucks to suck! You didn’t take care of it fast enough!” He promptly jumped back into the action, to Juvia’s obvious displeasure, while Levy scolded the Iron Dragon Slayer for being rash.

What on Earthland is going on? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: And so begins the true chaos (in next chapter) ;) They are finally the four of them together (the long awaited moment, we have all been looking forward, hehe~) We are going back to the Humor part of this story :3 Expect more BROTP moments, bakaness and schemes~  
> Once again, thank you for reading, kudo-ing, bookmarking and reviewing :D I hope it made you smile, laugh or fangirl^^  
> See you soon? (Might be slow but I’m finishing this, don’t worry:))


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